Harry Hesketh Smyth

Rear-Admiral Harry Hesketh Smyth, C.M.G., D.S.O., R.N., Retired (23 April, 1872 – 9 July, 1926) was an officer in the Royal Navy. His wartime work would be largely in command of minelaying vessels.

Life & Career

Smyth was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1894.

Smyth was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1906.

Smyth was appointed in command of the destroyer Intrepid on 17 January, 1913.

Great War

Smyth was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain on 22 October, 1914.

Smyth was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1914.

Following the loss of his command, the first class protected cruiser Ariadne on 26 July, 1917, Smyth was appointed to Vernon, additional, for a special mining course on 7 September. When the course ended on 27 September, he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Amphitrite, which had recently been converted to a minelayer. Smyth was awarded a C.M.G. for services in Minelaying Operations in the period 1 January, 1916 to 1 August, 1917, , gazetted 1 October, 1917.

On 3 January, 1918, Smyth was moved over to command the Princess Margaret, which was also functioning as a minelayer.

Post-War

Smyth was superseded in Princess Margaret at his own request on 9 November, 1919. There is no record of his immediate successive employment, but it appears that it was in fighting the Bolsheviks, as he was awarded a D.S.O. for this. In October, 1920 he was appointed to do Coast Guard work in the Nore Area.

Smyth was mentioned in despatches, gazetted on 9 April, 1920 and placed on Retired List at own request on 5 July, 1922.

Smyth was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 8 May, 1925. He died just over a year later, in Sway, Hants.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Llewellyn Griffiths	Captain of H.M.S. Hardy 19 Apr, 1900 – Nov, 1900	Succeeded by Norman H. Carter
Preceded by Edward M. Hale	Captain of H.M.S. Boomerang 12 Jul, 1904 – 1 Dec, 1904	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by James U. Farie	Captain of H.M.S. Dryad 14 Jan, 1905 – 17 Nov, 1905	Succeeded by Archibald B. Purvis
Preceded by Frederic W. Dean	Captain of H.M.S. Hussar 18 Nov, 1905 – 12 Feb, 1907	Succeeded by David M. Hamilton
Preceded by John C. Watson	Captain of H.M.S. Royal Oak 12 Jul, 1910 – 8 Dec, 1911	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Tristan Dannreuther	Captain of H.M.S. Intrepid 17 Jan, 1913 – 8 Mar, 1915	Succeeded by Charles E. W. Pyddoke
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Orvieto 8 Mar, 1915 – 25 May, 1916	Succeeded by George P. England
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Wahine 26 May, 1916 – 20 Mar, 1917	Succeeded by Denis G. Thynne
Preceded by Pieter G. V. Vander Byl	Captain of H.M.S. Ariadne 20 Mar, 1917 – 26 Jul, 1917	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by Edmund C. Carver	Captain of H.M.S. Amphitrite 27 Sep, 1917 – 3 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Cyril Peel
Preceded by Lockhart Leith	Captain of H.M.S. Princess Margaret 3 Jan, 1918 – 9 Nov, 1919	Succeeded by Cecil E. Tooth