Hugh Marrack
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral Hugh Marrack, DSC
, CBE
,(5 July 1888– 12 February 1972) was a submarine specialist in the Royal Navy
who commanded both the Portland and China Submarine flotillas and was Commodore Superintendent Gibraltar
1943–45. Marrack later became an ADC
to King George VI
.
in Tiverton and at HMS Britannia
.
Marrack married Christine Banbury Pilkington (née Hallett) at the Old Parish Church in Upper Dovercourt on 7 July 1917. Christine Pilkington was the widow of Lieutenant George Pilkington who died when HM Submarine C31
was lost on 7 January 1915.
Marrack was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1943. He retired as a Rear admiral
and died in the Royal Naval Hospital
at Haslar
.
in London
holds the papers of Rear Admiral Hugh Marrack 1932-1937 (ref: 72/52/1), including account of the seizure of the Chinese quarter of Shanghai by the Chinese Nationalist Army led by Gen Chiang Kai-shek, Apr 1927 (written 1932); account of service as Commanding Officer, HMS CARLISLE, Africa Station 1934-1937; account of visit of HMS CARLISLE to Tristan de Cunha 1937; two files of papers relating to submarines.
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
,(5 July 1888– 12 February 1972) was a submarine specialist in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who commanded both the Portland and China Submarine flotillas and was Commodore Superintendent Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
1943–45. Marrack later became an ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
.
Early life
Hugh Richard Marrack was educated at Blundell's SchoolBlundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
in Tiverton and at HMS Britannia
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
.
Service biography
Marrack’s appointments included:- 1902 - Cadet, HMS BritanniaBritannia Royal Naval CollegeBritannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
- 1904 – Promoted to MidshipmanMidshipmanA midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
(15 July 1904) - 1907 – Promoted to Sub Lieutenant (15 October 1907)
- 1908 - Sub-Lt, Submarine Branch of RNRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and appointed to HMS MercuryHMS Mercury (1878)HMS Mercury was an Iris class second class cruiser of the Royal Navy. The two ships of the class were the first all steel ships in the Royal Navy. She was distinguished from the Iris by her straight bow, which gave her a slightly shorter length of 315 feet...
at PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
'for Instruction in Submarine Boats' - 1909 - Appointed to HMS Mercury 'for Submarines' and later to HMS BonaventureHMS BonaventureEight ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Bonaventure, whilst another was planned:*Bonaventure was a warship built in 1489, and gone by 1509....
at QueenstownCobhCobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
'for Submarines'. - 1911-1912 - Commanding Officer HM Submarine A10HMS A10HMS A10 was an early Royal Navy submarine.She was a member of Group Two of the first British A-class of submarines . Like all members of her class, she was built at Vickers Barrow-in-Furness.-External links:*...
- 1912-1919 - Commanding Officer HM Submarine C19HMS C19HMS C19 was a British C class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham. She was laid down on 11 March 1907 and was commissioned on 9 November 1909.HMS C19 was sold on 2 February 1920....
and HM Submarine E51HMS E51HMS E51 was a British E class submarine built originally ordered from Yarrow, Scotstoun but transferred to Scotts, Greenock on 3 March 1915. HMS E51 was laid down on 30 November 1916 and commissioned on 27 January 1917....
(minelayer) - 1918-1928 - Commanding Officer HM Submarines, L71HMS L71HMS L71 was a L-class submarine built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock. She was laid down on 29 August 1917 and was commissioned on 23 December 1919.HMS L71 was sold on 25 March 1938 at Milford Haven....
, HMS Fermoy (the Depot Ship of the Periscope School at Portland), K8HMS K8HMS K8 was a British K class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 28 June 1915 and was commissioned on 6 March 1917. K8 was sold on 11 October 1923.- References :...
, M3HMS M3HMS M3, built by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle Upon Tyne was an M class submarine of the Royal Navy.M3 was ordered from Armstrong Whitworth on 28 July 1916 and laid down at Elswick in December as an M-class submarine, but was referred to as K20. She was launched on 19 October 1919, and...
and HM Australian Submarine OxleyHMS OxleyHMS Oxley was an O-class submarine serving in the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Navy .-Construction:Oxley was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong Limited at Barrow-in-Furness, England in March 1925...
. - 1929-1931 - Commanding Officer, HMS Titania (submarine depot ship) & as Captain (S) 6th Submarine Flotilla (Portland Submarine Flotilla)
- 1931-1933 – Commanding Officer, HMS Medway (submarine depot ship) & Captain (S) 4th Submarine Flotilla (China)
- 1933 (May–June) - Commodore-in-Charge of Naval Establishments at Hong Kong [HMS TamarHMS Tamar (shore station)HMS Tamar was the name for the Royal Navy's base in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1997. It took its name from HMS Tamar a ship that was used as the base until replaced by buildings ashore.-19th Century:...
- 1933–1934 - Senior officers' war course at the RN War College, GreenwichOld Royal Naval CollegeThe Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
- 1934 - Tactical course, HM Dockyard, Portsmouth (HMS Victory)
- 1934-1937 - Commanding Officer HMS CarlisleHMS Carlisle (D67)HMS Carlisle was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English City of Carlisle. She was the name ship of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers...
(Africa Station) - 1937-1943 – Captain Superintendent, HM Dockyard Sheerness (and, from 12 December also Commodore-in-ChargeCommodore (Royal Navy)Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
) - 1943-1945 - Commodore Superintendent, GibraltarGibraltarGibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
Marrack married Christine Banbury Pilkington (née Hallett) at the Old Parish Church in Upper Dovercourt on 7 July 1917. Christine Pilkington was the widow of Lieutenant George Pilkington who died when HM Submarine C31
HMS C31
HMS C31 was a C-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 7 January 1909 and was commissioned on 19 November 1909....
was lost on 7 January 1915.
Marrack was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1943. He retired as a Rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and died in the Royal Naval Hospital
Royal Hospital Haslar
The Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport, Hampshire, England was one of several hospitals serving the Portsmouth Urban Area. The Royal Hospital Haslar officially closed as the last military hospital in the UK in 2007...
at Haslar
Haslar
Haslar is place in England, at the southern tip of Alverstoke, on the Gosport peninsula, Hampshire. It takes its name from Anglo-Saxon hæsel-ōra = "hazel - landing place"...
.
Papers
The Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
holds the papers of Rear Admiral Hugh Marrack 1932-1937 (ref: 72/52/1), including account of the seizure of the Chinese quarter of Shanghai by the Chinese Nationalist Army led by Gen Chiang Kai-shek, Apr 1927 (written 1932); account of service as Commanding Officer, HMS CARLISLE, Africa Station 1934-1937; account of visit of HMS CARLISLE to Tristan de Cunha 1937; two files of papers relating to submarines.