| Henry Hugh Gordon Stoker | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Harry |
| Born | 2 February 1885 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 2 February 1966 London, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1900–1920 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Commands held | HMAS AE2 |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order |
| Relations | Bram Stoker (cousin) |
| Other work | Actor Theatre director |
Commander Henry Hugh Gordon "Dacre" Stoker, DSO RN commonly credited in films as H.G. Stoker or Dacre Stoker (2 February 1885, Dublin – 2 February 1966, London), was an officer of the First and Second World War Royal Navy and stage and screen actor. He was also a sportsman, active in polo, croquet, hurling, and tennis, competing at Wimbledon and becoming the croquet champion of Ireland in 1962, aged 77. He was a cousin to the author Bram Stoker.
Stoker's naval career began in 1900 with training aboard HMS Britannia. By 1904 he had been promoted to acting sub-lieutenant, and began studying at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He volunteered for the Royal Navy Submarine Service. Aged 23 he was promoted to lieutenant, and his first submarine command. Later he was given responsibility to establish a submarine station on Gibraltar. He served in World War I as captain of the Australian Submarine AE2, which in 1915 was the first submarine to penetrate the mined narrows of the Dardanelles and thus to enter the Sea of Marmara. After a series of naval engagements there, AE2 was attacked by the Ottoman torpedo boat Sultanhisar. She was scuttled and her crew captured, with Stoker using his acting talents to entertain fellow prisoners and to attempt to escape, unsuccessfully. Leaving the navy in 1921 to act, he was recalled to active service at the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1945 he again left the navy to act.