Henry Harwood

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Sir Henry Harwood Harwood (1888-01-19 (London) - 1950-06-09 (Goring-on-Thames)), British naval officer who won fame in the Battle of the River Plate.

Contents

[edit] Family

Son of late Surtees Harwood Harwood, Ashmans Hall, Suffolk. Married (1924) to Joan, daughter of late Selway Chard, Magnolia House, West Tarring, Sussex. Two sons, Cyprian and Stephen.

[edit] Career

1903 entered the Royal Navy and specialized in torpedoes
(1919) Royal Sovereign, 1st Battle Squadron
1929 Commanding Officer, Warwick & Senior Officer, 9th Destroyer Division
1931-01-14 - 1932 Imperial Defence Course
1932-03-28 - 1934 Flag Captain, London (cruiser) & Chief Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral Commanding 1st Cruiser Squadron
1934-07-28 - 1936 staff, Royal Naval War College, Greenwich (HMS President). Lectured on ways cruisers could defeat a pocket battleship.
1936-09-17 - 1939-08-25 Commodore Commanding South American Division of the America and West Indies Station & Commanding Officer, Exeter (cruiser)
1939-08-25 - 1940 Commodore / Rear-Admiral Commanding South American Division of the America and West Indies Station (December 1939 commanded action against the Admiral Graf Spee)
1940-12-02 - 1942 a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign) (HMS President)
1942-04-22 - February 1943 Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station (HMS Nile), renamed:
1943 - 1943 Commander-in-Chief, Levant
1943 - 1943 engaged in flank support & seaborne supply of Eighth Army
1944-04-15 - 1945 Flag Officer Commanding Orkneys and Shetlands (HMS Prosperine)
1945-08-15 retired (medically unfit)

[edit] Ranks

Midshipman 1904
Acting Sub-Lieutenant 1907-07-30
Sub-Lieutenant 1908-04-09, seniority 1907-07-30
Lieutenant 1908-07-30
Lieutenant-Commander 1916-07-30
Commander 1921-06-30
Captain 1928-12-31
Commodore 2nd class 1936-09-17?
Commodore 1st class 1939-08-25?
Rear-Admiral 1939-12-13
Acting Admiral 1942-04-22?
Vice-Admiral 1942-02-06
Admiral (retired) 1945

In the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate, Harwood was played by Anthony Quayle.

[edit] Decorations

KCB 1939-12-23 action with the Admiral Graf Spee 1939-12-13
OBE 1919-07-17 ?
MID 1941-01-01 New Year 1941
GREEK WAR CROSS 1943-04-17 services to the Greek Navy
Gold Medal of Concepcion (Chile) 1939? Concepcion earthquake 1939-01-24
Grand Offier, Order of Merit (Chile) 1940-09-06 Concepcion earthquake 1939-01-24
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