Herbert Rayner Explained

Herbert Sharples Rayner
Rank:	Vice-Admiral
Allegiance:	Canada
Birth Date:	16 January 1911
Birth Place:	Clinton, Ontario
Death Place:	Ottawa, Ontario
Serviceyears:	1928–1964
Battles:	Second World War
Commands:	HMCS St. Laurent Naval Air Section, HMCS Stadacona Canadian Services College Royal Roads Maritime Forces Pacific Royal Canadian Navy
Awards:	Distinguished Service Cross

Vice Admiral Herbert Sharples Rayner DSC & Bar, CD (16 January 1911 – 30 May 1976) was a Royal Canadian Navy officer who served as Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 August 1960 to 16 July 1964.

Career

Herbert Sharples Rayner joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1928.^[1] He served in the Second World War as Commanding Officer of the destroyer 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 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 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 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]

Awards and decorations

Rayner's personal awards and decorations include the following:

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) with bar	Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) - received in December 1940^[3] Bar received in 1944^[4]
		WWII 1939–1945
		WWII 1939–1945 with France & Germany Clasp
		WWII 1939–1945 with Overseas Service bar
		WWII 1939–1945^[5]
		Decoration awarded in 1952
	Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)	with two Clasp for 32 years of services
		Legionnaire level Citation ^[6] France award
	Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with palm	Bronze palm, mentioned at the army level Citation for Bronze palm ^[7] France award

Notes and References

1. http://nauticapedia.ca/dbase/Query/Biolist3.php?name=Rayner,%20Herbert%20Sharples&id=11055&Page=1&input=Rayner,%20Herbert%20Sharples Rayner, Herbert Sharples
2. http://wartimehouses.com/the-homefront/the-armed-forces/herbert-rayner/ Herbert Rayner
3. Distinguished Service Cross: London Gazette of 16 August 1940 (no Canada Gazette). "courage and enterprise in action against the enemy submarine in the Western Approaches."
4. Distinguished Service Cross: London Gazette of 16 August 1940 (no Canada Gazette). "for action in the western English Channel against four German destroyers trying to break through to attack the Allied invasion fleet off Normandy."
5. "Missing citation".
6. For good service in working with the USN while Director of Plans at Naval Service Headquarters in 1944.
7. For good service in action with enemy destroyers during the war in Europe.