Commodore Raymond Hart (24 June 1913 – 6 August 1999) was a British seaman and a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer who served during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Early life

Hart was born in Southampton. He was educated at Oakmount Preparatory School, and later

King Edward VI School, Southampton King Edward VI School (also known as King Edward's, or KES) is a selective co-educational independent school founded in Southampton, United Kingdom, in 1553. The school was founded at the request of William Capon, who bequeathed money in his ...

. In 1929, aged 16, he joined the Merchant Navy and in 1937 the Royal Navy.

Service career

At the outbreak of the Second World War Hart was a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

. In February 1941 he was recommended for bravery during loss of ; he was awarded the

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

for this in December 1941. In December 1942 Hart was appointed commander of destroyer , assigned to B-7 Escort Group under command of Lt Cdr. P. W. Gretton. In May 1943 during the defence of

Convoy ONS 5 ONS 5 was the 5th of the numbered ONS series of Slow trade convoys Outbound from the British Isles to North America. The North Atlantic battle surrounding it in May 1943 is regarded as the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic in World ...

''Vidette'' destroyed two U-boats; Hart was later awarded a bar to his DSC. In June he was promoted to

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

. In October while working as a support group, B-7 assisted in the defence of convoys

ON 206 On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001 * ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 200 ...

, ON 207 and ON 208. Nine U-boats were destroyed in total during these actions; ''Vidette'' was credited with two, and Hart was

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

. In March 1944 he was given command of the destroyer ; in June they destroyed ''U-767'' in the Channel. In September 1944 Hart took command of frigate and 21 Escort Group. ''Conn'' was credited with two U-boats destroyed in March 1945, and Hart was later awarded the DSO.

Later life

After the end of hostilities Hart served in a number of sea-going and shore posts, culminating in the command of and of

6th Frigate Squadron The 6th Frigate Squadron was an administrative unit of the Royal Navy from 1950 to 2002. History During its existence, the squadron included , Type 15, , , , and Type 23 frigates. Ships from the squadron participated in the Coronation Fleet ...

in 1957. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1953 and commodore in 1960, before retiring in 1963. Hart was appointed a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1963. After retirement from the Royal Navy Hart held several positions in the Merchant Navy, being advisor to B&C until 1972, then fleet manager of Cayzer Irvine until 1976, during which time he was director of both companies. In 1974 Hart appeared in the documentary series '' The World at War'', in the episode covering the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allied naval blockade ...

. Hart married in 1945 and had three children; two sons and a daughter. He died in Southampton, where he had lived, in 1999.

Successes

Hart was credited with the destruction of seven U-boats in his war-time service.

Footnotes

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * *

External links

*
Raymond Hart at Uboat.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Raymond Military personnel from Southampton Royal Navy officers of World War II Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) 1913 births 1999 deaths People educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton