Lawrence St George Rich DSO, RN

Born  10 May 1908

Ranks

16 May 1929 S.Lt.
16 Sep 1931 Lt.
16 Sep 1939 Lt.Cdr.
20 Dec 1949 Cdr. (retired)

Retired: 20 Dec 1949


Decorations

14 Apr 1942 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
24 Mar 1943 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
4 May 1943 DSO
27 Jul 1943 Bar to DSO

Warship Commands listed for Lawrence St George Rich, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS H 43 (N 43)Lt.Cdr.SubmarineFeb 40 ?15 Apr 1940
HMS Proteus (N 29)Lt.Cdr.Submarine26 Sep 194015 Apr 1941
HMS Exmoor (ii) (L 08)Lt.Cdr.Escort destroyerJun 1941Jan 1943
HMS Paladin (G 69)Lt.Cdr.Destroyer4 Jan 194314 Jul 1943
HMS Carysfort (R 25)Lt.Cdr.Destroyer25 Oct 1944Jul 1945

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Submarine HMS H 43 (N 43)


7 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS H 43 collided wit HMS Veteran (Cdr. J.E. Broome, RN) off Plymouth.

27 Feb 1940
HMS H 43 (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Plymouth for her 3rd war patrol. She is to patrol off the west coast of Ireland with special service trawler HMS Tamura (later to be named HMS Comet, Lt.Cdr. W.R. Fell, RN).

For the daily positions of HMS H 43 during this patrol see the map below.

(1)

11 Mar 1940
HMS H 43 (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) ended her 3rd war patrol at Plymouth. (1)


Submarine HMS Proteus (N 29)


26 Sep 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Alexandria for her 5th war patrol (4th in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to patrol south of the Straits of Messina.

For the daily positions of HMS Proteus during this patrol see the map below.

(2)

8 Oct 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) proceeded, as ordered towards a new patrol area off the Calabrian coast. (2)

20 Oct 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) ended her 5th war patrol (4th in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. It had been uneventful, only aircraft were seen. (2)

25 Oct 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Alexandria for her 6th war patrol (5th in the Mediterranean). She was ordered to to Ras El Tin (Libya), the true object of her mission is not known to us.

For the daily positions of HMS Proteus during this patrol see the map below.

(3)

28 Oct 1940
Italy declared war on Greece and HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) was ordered to return to Alexandria. (3)

31 Oct 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) ended her 6th war patrol (5th in the Mediterranean) at Alexandria. (3)

23 Nov 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Alexandria for Malta. This was the first leg of the trip to the U.K. where Proteus was to refit.

No log is available for November 1940 so no map can be displayed. (3)

30 Nov 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) arrived at Malta. (3)

2 Dec 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Malta for Gibraltar.

For the daily positions of HMS Proteus during this passage see the map below.

(4)

9 Dec 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (4)

12 Dec 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) departed Gibraltar for Portsmouth.

For the daily positions of HMS Proteus during this passage see the map below.

(4)

20 Dec 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) arrived at Portsmouth. (4)

30 Dec 1940
HMS Proteus (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) commenced a refit at the Portsmouth Dockyard. (4)


Destroyer HMS Paladin (G 69)


17 Feb 1943 (position 33.08, 22.18)
German U-boat U-205 was badly damaged in the Mediterranean north-west of Derna, in position 33°08'N, 22°18'E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Paladin (Lt.Cdr. L.St.G. Rich, RN), assisted by a South African Bisley (Blenheim) aircraft (W / 15 Sqn. / SAAF). The U-boat was captured by a boarding party of the destroyer that seized several confidential books and documents, but it foundered a few hours later while under tow by the British corvette HMS Gloxinia off Ras al Hilal in position 32°54'08"N, 22°11'4"E.

30 Apr 1943
The British destroyers HMS Nubian (Cdr. D.E. Holland-Martin, DSC, RN) and HMS Paladin (Lt.Cdr. L.StG. Rich, RN) intercept the small Italian transport ship Fauna (575 GRT) about 20 nautical miles south of Capo San Marco, Sicily, Italy and sink it with gunfire.

Sources

  1. ADM 199/1829
  2. ADM 199/283
  3. ADM 173/16451
  4. ADM 173/16452

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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