Daniel Gibson Harris

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Daniel Gibson Harris born December 10th, 1915 Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England. Died November 19th 2007, Bells Corners, Ottawa, Canada.

Horace Daniel Gibson Harris was the second son and fourth of five children (Joan b.1906- d.2002, Barbary b.1908 d.1998, Leonard b. 1910 - d, and younger sister Bridget d.1993) to James Gibson Harris and Bessie Gibson Harris (nee Miles). He lived at 26 Cranley Gardens in Chelsea, London UK from 1916 to 1939 when his family moved several blocks away to 23 Mulberry Walk, Chelsea, London UK.

Having been forbade to attend Cambridge University like his older brother Leonard, Daniel was entered into studies as a Chartered Accountant so he could work in the family business (Gibson Harris & Turnbull).

Having had a childhood love of sailing, Daniel enrolled in the Navy and was eager to join the action at the outbreak of WW2. When it was discovered that he spoke fluent Swedish (which he had learned on the advice that knowing an obscure language would help advance a naval career) he was given less than an afternoon's notice on a transfer to the British Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden to be the Assistant Naval Attache. This is where Daniel spent the war years, assisted in the sinking of the Bismarck, met (at a friend's cocktail party) and 3 months later in 1943 married Marianne Syk (b. July 10th, 1920) (daughter of Robert Syk d. 1933, and Anna Olson).

Daniel and Marianne lived in Stockholm following the end of the war (despite offers from his father to move back to London and have Marianne clean-house for him), and on October 24th, 1947 their daughter Madeleine Louise Birgitta Gibson Harris was born. Soon after, the family moved to New York, NY and then to Calgary, Alberta Canada. On July 16th, 1953 Daniel's son Michael Robert Harris (d. January 27th, 1975) was born. They moved to Vancouver in the late 50s, and then in 1961 to Bells Corners, Ottawa. Where, in 1963 he founded the [Canadian Nordic Society].

Upon retirement, Daniel began to pursue fully his love of Swedish Naval History and in 1989 he published his first book F H Chapman: The First Naval Architect and his work, Naval Institute Press, ISBN 0870210521.

In 1981 his daughter Madeleine married Ed Callway (b. December 18, 1954 to Walter James Callway b. July 1914 d. May 1st 2005 and Berjouhie Berberian b. May 26th 1919), and on Friday September 13th, 1985 his first and only grandchild Claire Callway was born.

Then in 2006 he published his memoires of 1940-1946 as the Assistant Naval Attache in Stockholm, entitled "Observed Secretly: Northern Window" ISBN 0-973744-0-5.

Among his many accomplishments, Daniel Gibson Harris received:the Netherlands Order of Oranje Nassau, was elected a member of the Swedish Order of Naval Sciences in 1989, The Knight 1st Class of the Swedish Order of the Northern Star; the Swedish Vasa Rediviva Medal, and The Silver Medal of Merit of the Swedish Royal Society of Naval Sciences.

Suddenly on the 18th of November 2007, Daniel fell ill and was rushed to hospital. At roughly 3am on November 19th, with his daughter Madeleine at his side, Daniel Gibson Harris passed away in his sleep.