Edward Neville Syfret

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Edward Neville Syfret
20 June 1889 – 10 December 1972
Place of birth	Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
Place of death	Highgate, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1904 - 1948
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Caradoc (19 Jul 1932 - Jan 1934) Naval Gunnery School, Devonport (HMS Drake) (31 Aug 1934 Jul 1935) HMS Ramillies (10 Jan 1938 Jun 1938) HMS Rodney (15 Aug 1938 - Aug 1939) 18th Cruiser Squadron (Jun 1941 - ?) Force H (10 Jan 1942 - Feb 1943) (commanded occupying force Madagascar 1942) Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet (24 Nov 1945 - 1948)
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	^[1] GCB (1 Jan 1948) KCB (8 Sep 1942) CB 25 Nov 1941 KBE (18 Dec 1945) Mentioned in Despatches (25 Aug 1942) Legion of Merit (7 Sep 1943) Croix de guerre (17 May 1918)

Admiral Sir Edward Neville Syfret was a British naval officer who served with the Royal Navy in World War I and World War II. He was knighted for his part in Operation Pedestal, the critical Malta convoy. Syfret was born 20 June 1889 near Cape Town, South Africa and died on 10 December 1972, in London.

[edit] Family

Son of Edward Ridge Syfret, Cape Town, South Africa. Married in 1913 Hildegarde Warner. The couple had one son and one daughter.

Syfret was educated at Diocesan College, South Africa and the Britannia Royal Naval College, where he became Chief Cadet Captain.

He played once for the Royal Navy cricket team, scoring a duck and 30 runs in his two innings.

[edit] Career

Syfret joined the Royal Navy in 1904 and, in his early service years, specialised in naval gunnery. He became Gunnery Officer in the light cruisers HMS Aurora, HMS Centaur and HMS Curacoa and in 1927 he was Fleet Gunnery Officer, Mediterranean Fleet.

Syfret was naval commander during Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Madagascar in May 1942 and was convoy commander for Operation Pedestal, a critical Malta Convoy in August 1942.