Robin Durnford-Slater
Sir Robin Durnford-Slater | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leonard Francis Slater |
| Born | 9 July 1902[1] Punjab, British India[2] |
| Died | 28 June 1984 (aged 81) Chichester, Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1923–1961 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Hermes HMS Vernon HMS Gambia Nore Command |
| Battles / wars | World War II Suez Crisis |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral Sir Robin Leonard Francis Durnford-Slater KCB (born Leonard Francis Slater; 9 July 1902 – 28 June 1984) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be the last Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Early life
Born as Leonard Francis Slater in 1902 in the Punjab area of India the son of Leonard Slater, an Army Captain and his wife Constance Durnford Slater. His younger brother John became notable as the first British Commando.[3]
He was educated at Summer Fields School.[4]
Naval career
Durnford-Slater joined the Royal Navy in 1923.[5]
He served in World War II, initially as Executive Officer on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes which was sunk in 1942.[6] He then joined the torpedo school HMS Vernon.[7] He next became Senior Officer for the 42nd and the 7th Escort Group of Western Approaches Command.[7] Later he became Training Captain on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Command and finally Director of Underwater Weapons at the Admiralty.[7]
After the War he became Senior Officer for 1st Escort Flotilla in the Far East Fleet.[7] He went on to be Commandant at the School of Amphibious Warfare and then Captain of the cruiser HMS Gambia.[7] In 1953 he was made Deputy Controller of the Navy.[7] He commanding the Naval Forces during Suez Crisis in 1956.[8] After that he was made Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet and then, from 1958, the last Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.[7] He retired in 1961.[7]
References
- ^ India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
- ^ 1911 England Census
- ^ Durnford-Slater, John (2002) [1953]. Commando: Memoirs of a Fighting Commando in World War Two. London: Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-479-6.
- ^ Usborne, Richard (1964). A Century of Summer Fields. Methuen. p. 106.
- ^ "No. 32855". The London Gazette. 21 August 1923. p. 5700.
- ^ HMS Hermes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ Suez Crisis: Operation Musketeer