Howard Bone

Captain Howard Francis Bone CBE DSO* DSC* (20 October 1908 – 12 August 1981) was a British Royal Navy officer, who was highly decorated during his service as a submarine commander during the Second World War.

Howard Bone
Born20 October 1908
Chatham, Kent
Died12 August 1981
Combe Hay, Somerset
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1922-1957
RankCaptain
Commands held
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order & Bar
Distinguished Service Cross & Bar

Early life

Bone was the son of Howard Bone CB and Annie Stewart Wyatt. He was educated at Felsted School, before attending the Britannia Royal Naval College. He entered the Royal Navy on 15 May 1922.[1]

Bone's first saw service on HMS Frobisher in China, before attending a promotion course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1929. He then served on various submarines, before taking command of HMS Sealion on 25 July 1937. He served on HMS Ark Royal between October 1938 and August 1939.[2]

Second World War

On 6 June 1940 Bone took command of HMS Tigris. On 13 November 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for good service on patrols in home waters.[3] On 20 December 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for the successful sinking of an Italian submarine.[4] He was awarded a Bar to his DSO for patrols conducted in June and July 1941, and was awarded a Bar to his DSC for successful patrols between August and November 1941.[5] On 13 September 1941 Bone was responsible for the torpedoing of a Norwegian civilian vessel, which had been mistaken for a German ship; 97 civilians died in the incident. He documented the event in the ship log: "1203 hours - Fired two torpedoes from 1500 yards. One hit was obtained and the ship sank immediately. Survivors were seen on four rafts and these were seen to be picked up by a fishing vessel that was in the area. Tigris retired to the seaward."

Between August and November 1942 he commanded HMS Otway. For the remainder of the war he served as an Executive Officer on the submarine depot ships HMS Maidstone and HMS Wolfe.[6]

Post-war

In January 1946 Bone became Executive Officer on HMS Howe. In 1950 he briefly served as Commanding Officer of HMS Montclare, before serving as Deputy Director of Naval Equipment at the Admiralty until 1954. Between 1954 and 1957 he was Captain-in-Charge of Naval Base Simon's Town in South Africa. From January 1956 to his retirement in May 1957 Bone was also a Naval Aide-de-camp to Elizabeth II. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 Birthday Honours.[7]

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References
  1. 'Bone, Howard Francis' in Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 at unithistories.com, retrieved 22 January 2016
  2. 'Bone, Howard Francis' in Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 at unithistories.com, retrieved 22 January 2016
  3. "No. 34991". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 November 1940. p. 6549.
  4. "No. 35018". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 December 1940. p. 7108.
  5. "No. 35432". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 January 1942. p. 433.
  6. 'Bone, Howard Francis' in Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 at unithistories.com, retrieved 22 January 2016
  7. "No. 41089". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1957. p. 3372.
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