Hugh Dalrymple-Smith

From The Dreadnought Project
Revision as of 09:33, 24 June 2022 by Tone (Talk | contribs) (World War II)

Jump to: navigation, search

Captain Hugh Dalrymple-Smith, (29 September, 1901 – 1987) served in the Royal Navy.

As with many men born c. 1899 or later, his Service Records at The National Archives do not reflect activity between 1931 and 1939 or so.

Life & Career

Dalrymple-Smith served in H.M.S. Ramillies, his first appointment, from September 1917.

Dalrymple-Smith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 October, 1922 and was awarded the Ronald Megaw Memorial Prize for his excellent skills in the French language. In 1925, he would be qualified as a Gunnery Lieutenant, serving as gunnery officer in Queen Elizabeth, Enterprise and at H.M.S. Excellent.[1]

Dalrymple-Smith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 October, 1930.

After spending two years in Hood as squadron gunnery officer for the Battle Cruiser Squadron, Dalrymple-Smith was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1935. On 18 November 1935, he commenced work as one of six Assistants to the Director of Naval Ordnance.[2]

World War II

Dalrymple-Smith was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1941. He was appointed in command of the light cruiser Arethusa from 1 December 1943. During his time in command, he ferried King George VI to see the beaches of Normandy. Dalrymple-Smith left an estate valued at £231,279 in 1987.[3]

According to his daughter Xan Carr, he would sketch Norway in the winter. The keep the water for his watercolour paint from freezing, he would add gin to it. It alarmed his children that he would drink the paint-laced water after finishing his work, so as not to waste the gin.[4]

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Hugh F. Robertson-Aikman
Captain of H.M.S. Arethusa
1 Dec, 1943[5] – Jun, 1945[6]
Succeeded by
Casper S. B. Swinley

Footnotes

  1. "Duty in the Ordnance Department." The Times (London, England), 18 Nov. 1935, p. 25.
  2. "Duty in the Ordnance Department." The Times (London, England), 18 Nov. 1935, p. 25.
  3. "Latest Wills." The Times (London, England), 27 Nov. 1987, p. 18.
  4. "An extra tincture." The Times (London, England), 28 Feb. 1998, p. 23.
  5. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  6. Uboat.net page on the ship.