Ralph Hennessy

Vice Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy DSC, CD (4 September 1918 – 13 June 2014) was a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.


Ralph Hennessy
Born4 September 1918
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died13 June 2014(2014-06-13) (aged 95)
Ottawa, Ontario
AllegianceCanada
Service/branchRoyal Canadian Navy
Years of service1935–1970
RankVice-Admiral
Commands heldHMCS Assiniboine
HMCS Gatineau
HMCS Micmac
Atlantic Coast
Royal Canadian Navy
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Canadian Forces' Decoration

Hennessy joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a cadet in 1935.[1] He served in the Second World War[2] in command of the destroyers HMCS Assiniboine, HMCS Gatineau and HMCS Micmac.[1][3] He went on to be Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel in 1960, Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in 1963 and Chair of Military Manpower in 1964.[1] His last role was as Principal Naval Adviser from 1966 to 1968.[1]

Awards and decorations

Hennessy's personal awards and decorations include the following:





RibbonDescriptionNotes
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)
  • Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)[4]
1939–1945 Star
  • WWII 1939–1945
Atlantic Star
  • WWII 1939–1945 with France & Germany Clasp
Defence Medal (United Kingdom)
  • WWII 1939–1945
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal
  • WWII 1939–1945 with Overseas Service bar
War Medal 1939–1945
  • WWII 1939–1945
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1952
Canadian Centennial Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1967
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1977
  • Canadian version
125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1992
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
  • with two Clasp for 32 years of services
  • George VI version
Commissionaires Long Service Medal
  • with three Clasp for 27 years of services

References
  1. "Vice-Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy, DSC, CD" (PDF). Blatherwick. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  2. "Obituary: Ralph Hennessy's storied life at sea". Ottawa Citizen. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. "Ralph Lucien Hennessy DSC, RCN". Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  4. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35833/supplement/5567/data.pdf. '"For gallantry and distinguished services before the enemy." The action in which HMCS Assiniboine sank U-210 on 6 August 1942 in the North Atlantic while protecting Convoy SC-94 is described in Chapter 14 of "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945". Hennessy was First Lieutenant on HMCS Assiniboine at this time."
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