Allied Warship Commanders

Philip Louis Vian DSO, RN

Born  15 Jun 1894
Died  27 May 1968(73)


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Ranks

15 Jan 1912 Mid.
15 May 1914 A/S.Lt.
15 Jan 1915 S.Lt.
15 Feb 1916 Lt.
15 Feb 1924 Lt.Cdr.
30 Jun 1929 Cdr.
31 Dec 1934 Capt.
8 Jul 1941 Rear-Admiral
8 May 1945 Vice-Admiral
26 Sep 1948 Admiral
1 Jun 1952 Admiral of the fleet (retd.)

Retired: 1 Jun 1952


Decorations

12 Apr 1940 DSO
19 Jul 1940 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
3 Dec 1940 Bar to DSO
14 Oct 1941 2nd Bar to DSO
31 Mar 1942 KBE
1 Jan 1943 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
21 Dec 1943 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
8 Jun 1944 CB
25 Jul 1944 KCB
1 May 1945 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
1 Jan 1952 GCB

Warship Commands listed for Philip Louis Vian, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Mackay (D 70)Capt.Destroyer3 Aug 193926 Sep 1939
HMS Afridi (F 07)Capt.Destroyer1 Jan 194018 Jan 1940
HMS Cossack (i) (F 03)Capt.Destroyer18 Jan 194029 Mar 1940
HMS Afridi (F 07)Capt.Destroyer29 Mar 19403 May 1940
HMS Cossack (i) (F 03)Capt.Destroyer21 May 194010 Jul 1941

Career information

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

Events related to this officer

Destroyer HMS Cossack (i) (F 03)


8 Dec 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0900A/8, HMS Cossack (Capt. P.L. Vian, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Sikh (Cdr. G.H. Stokes, RN) departed Scapa Flow to make rendezvous around 1000A/11 in position 55°00'N, 22°00'W, with Destroyers COSSACK (Captain D.4) and SIKH departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to rendezvous at 100011th in 55N, 22W with the Battleship HMS Ramillies (Capt. A.D. Read, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Furious (Capt. A.G. Talbot, DSO, RN), armed merchant cruiser HMS California (Capt. C.J. Pope, RAN) and the troopship Franconia (British, 20175 GRT, built 1923). (1)

4 Apr 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0900A/4, HMS Cossack (Capt. P.L. Vian, DSO and Bar, RN) and HMS Anthony (Lt.Cdr. J.M. Hodges, RN) departed Scapa Flow for Port Z.A. (Loch Alsh) where they arrived around 1630A/4. (2)

25 May 1941
The 4th Destroyer Flotilla comprising the British destroyers HMS Cossack (Capt. P.L. Vian, DSO, RN), HMS Maori (Cdr. H.T. Armstrong, DSO, RN), HMS Sikh (Cdr. G.H. Stokes, RN), HMS Zulu (Cdr. H.R. Graham, DSO, RN) and the Polish destroyer Piorun (Cdr. E. Plawski, Polish Navy) was escorting convoy WS-8B when they received an order to leave the convoy and take part in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck. (3)

Sources

  1. ADM 199/376
  2. ADM 199/399 + ADM 199/411
  3. Personal communication

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


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