Date of birth:

1904 (Garmston/Shropshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

December 16th, 1975

Nationality:

British

Richard Onslow was born into a family with a long tradition of high ranking naval officers. Since this first Onslow the Navy List has always shown two or three Onslows from the family. Richard Onslow was educated at Osborne and Dartmouth, the Royal Naval College.
Onslow joined the Royal Navy in 1918 at the end of World War I. His career in destroyers began in 1926 and continued, almost without a break, until the end of the Second World War. He served as a a midshipman in 1922-24 and served in H.M.S. Warspite and H.M.S. Voyager.
Onslow spent the the two years before the war in the Plans Division of the Admiralty where he became one of the original Joint Planners.
At the fall of France he had a hair-raising trip to Bordeaux to try and rescue the Belgian Government gold bullion and only just avoided being 'put in the bag'. At last, in May 1941, he got his long-awaited sea job, the Tribal destroyer Ashanti in which he was to win three D.S.O.s.
After a year in charge of the anti-submarine school at Dunoon, Onslow was away to sea again, this time in command of the Quilliam and as
Captain in the Eastern Fleet, initially in the Indian Ocean but later in the Pacific Ocean.
After the war he was successively Senior Naval Officer Northern Ireland, served at the Admiralty as Director of Tactical and Staff Duties and commanded the cadet training cruiser, HMS Devonshire. As a Rear-Admiral he was Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty in 1952 and as a Vice-Admiral, Flag Officer (Flotillas), Home Fleet, from 1955 to 1956. He was Flag Officer Commanding, Reserve Fleet from 1956 and 1957 and as an Admiral, Commander-in. Chief, Plymouth, from 1958 to 1960 when he retired. He became a Deputy Lieutenant for Salop in 1960. He was appointed CB in 1954 and KCB in 1958. He married, in 1932, Kathleen Meriel Taylor. They had two sons.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Commander

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

August 9th, 1940

Citation (general):
"For good services when specially employed."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Commander

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

June 20th, 1942

Citation (general):
"For outstanding leadership, skill and judgment in defence of a Convoy."

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Commander

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

November 10th, 1942

Citation (general):
"For bravery and dauntless resolution while serving in H.M. Ships Ashanti, Bramham, Cairo, Charybdis, Fury, Icarus, Intrepid, Ithuriel, Kenya, Laforey, Ledbury, Nelson, Nigeria, Pathfinder, Penn, Rodney, Rye, Somali, Speedy, Tartar, and Wolverine and in H.M. Aircraft-Carriers, Merchantmen and Oilers when an important Convoy was fought through to Malta in the face of relentless attacks by day and night from enemy submarines, aircraft and surface forces."

Second DSO awarded as a bar for in the ribbon of the first DSO.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Commander

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

November 17th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Commander

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

December 1st, 1942

Citation (general):
"For gallantry, skill and resolution in H.M. Ships escorting an important convoy to North Russia in the face of relentless attack by enemy aircraft and submarines."

Third DSO awarded as second bar for on the ribbon of the first DSO.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Captain

Unit:

Royal Navy

Awarded on:

October 31st, 1944

• - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 34918 published on the 9 August 1940
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35613 published on the 26 June 1942
  - Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35780 published on the 6 November 1942
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35788 published on the 13 November 1942
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35805 published on the 27 November 1942.
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36771 published on the 27 October 1944
  - The Naval Reviewl
  - Naval Ships of the World's Navies