George Ralph Miles DSO, OBE, RCN
| Born | 26 Feb 1912 | ||
| Died | 19 Dec 1951 | (39) | Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada |
 | Ranks
Decorations
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Warship Commands listed for George Ralph Miles, RCN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMCS Saguenay (D 79) | Lt.Cdr. | Destroyer | 8 Jul 1939 | 21 Apr 1941 |
| HMCS Athabaskan (i) (G 07) | Cdr. | Destroyer | 2 Feb 1943 | 5 Nov 1943 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Destroyer HMCS Saguenay (D 79)
23 Oct 1939
The British light cruiser HMS Orion (Capt. H.R.G. Kinahan, RN) and the Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay (Lt.Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) intercept the German tanker Emmy Friedrich (4372 GRT) in the Yukatan Strait west of Tampico. When the British light cruiser HMS Caradoc (Capt. E.W.L. Longley-Cook, RN) also arrived on the scene the Germans scuttled their own ship to prevent her capture.
28 Aug 1940
Convoy SHX 69.
This convoy departed Sydney, Cape Brenton Island on 28 August 1940.
It was made up of the following merchant vessels; Asbjorn (British, 4387 GRT, built 1935), Beaverdale (British, 9957 GRT, built 1928), Bridgepool (British, 4845 GRT, built 1924), Delilian (British, 6423 GRT, built 1923), Lord Byron (British, 4118 GRT, built 1934), Parracombe (British, 4702 GRT, built 1928), Roxby (British, 4252 GRT, built 1923), Stad Maastricht (Dutch, 6907 GRT, built 1924) and Vestvard (Norwegian, 4319 GRT, built 1925).
On departure from Sydney the convoy was escorted by the destroyer HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN).
Around 0800P/30, in position 42°54'N, 57°50'W, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Alaunia (Capt.(Retd.) H.J. Woodward, DSO and Bar, RN) took over from HMCS Saguenay which then parted company to proceed to Halifax where she arrived later the same day.
The convoy merged with convoy HX 69 around 1300P/30 in position 42°49'N, 56°44'W. (1)
20 Oct 1940
The British merchant Sulaco is torpedoed and sunk about 360 miles west of Rockall in position 57°25'N, 25°00'W by German U-boat U-124. HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) picks up 1 survivor.
21 Oct 1940
HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) picks up 29 survivors from the Norwegian merchant Cubano that was torpedoed and sunk the previous day south-west of Iceland in position 57°55'N, 24°57'W by German U-boat U-124.
1 Dec 1940 (position 54.40, -15.50)
Around 0350 hours on 1 December 1940 the Italian submarine Argo torpedoed and damaged the Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) about 300 nautical miles west of Ireland in position 54°40'N, 15°50'W. The bow was blown off and 21 of the crew lost their lives in this attack. HMCS Saguenay was escorting convoy HG-47 at the time. Saguenay was out of service for nearly 6 months (repairs were completed on 22 May 1941). (2)
Sources
- ADM 53/111340 + ADM 199/50
- Personal communication
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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