Herbert Rayner

Herbert Rayner
Herbert Rayner
Born	16 January 1911 Clinton, Ontario
Died	30 May 1976 Ottawa, Ontario
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Royal Canadian Navy
Years of service	1928-1964
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Commands held	HMCS Skeena HMCS St. Laurent HMCS Huron HMCS Nootka Naval Air Section, HMCS Stadacona Canadian Services College Royal Roads HMCS Magnificent Maritime Forces Pacific Royal Canadian Navy
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross

Vice Admiral Herbert Sharples Rayner DSC & Bar (16 January 1911 - 30 May 1976) was a Royal Canadian Navy officer who served as Chief of the Naval Staff from 1960 to 1964.

Career

Rayner joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1928.^[1] He served in World War II as Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Skeena and then of the destroyer HMCS St. Laurent during 1940, as Staff Officer Operations to the Commander Atlantic Coast from 1942 and as Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Huron from 1943 before becoming Director of Plans in 1944.^[1] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for "courage and enterprise in action against enemy submarines in the Western Approaches" and a bar to his DSC for an action "against four German destroyers trying to break through to attack the Allied invasion fleet off Normandy".^[2]

He went on to be Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Nootka in 1946, Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Section at the shore establishment HMCS Stadacona in 1947 and Commandant of the Canadian Services College Royal Roads in 1948.^[1] After that he became Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in 1950, Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier HMCS Magnificent in 1953 and Naval Assistant to the Chief of the Naval Staff 1955.^[1] His last appointments were as Chief of Naval Personnel in 1955, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific in 1957 and as Chief of the Naval Staff from 1960 until retiring in 1964.^[1]

References

v t e Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy Directors of the Naval Service Charles Kingsmill Walter Hose Chiefs of the Naval Staff Walter Hose Percy Nelles George Jones Howard Reid Harold Grant Rollo Mainguy Harry DeWolf Herbert Rayner Commanders, Maritime Command William Landymore John O'Brien Henry Porter Robert Timbrell Douglas Boyle Andrew Collier John Allan Andrew Fulton James Wood Charles Thomas Robert George John Anderson Peter Cairns Larry Murray Lynn Mason Chiefs of the Maritime Staff Gary Garnett Greg Maddison Ronald Buck Bruce MacLean Drew Robertson Dean McFadden Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy Paul Maddison Mark Norman