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Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

BOYS-SMITH, Capt Humphrey Gilbert (1904-1999)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0099 KCLMA Boys-Smith

Held at: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Title: BOYS-SMITH, Capt Humphrey Gilbert (1904-1999)

Date(s): 1983 (1904-1983)

Level of description: Collection (Fonds)

Extent: 1 box (0.01 cubic metres)

Name of creator(s): Smith | Humprey Gilbert Boys- | 1904-1999 | Captain RNR

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born 1904, educated at Pangborne Naval College. Joined Royal Naval Reserve 1921, Midshipman 1921, Sub Lt 1925, Lt Cdr 1928, Lt Cdr 1937, commanded HMS ANEMONE, Western Approaches Command, 1940-1942, DSO 1940, for services during Dunkirk evacuation; Cdr 1941; awarded Bar to DSO, 1941 for successful action against an enemy submarine; commanded HMS SPEY, Western Approaches Command, 1942-1943; awarded DSC and US Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during landings in North Africa, Nov 1942; Capt 1943; Admiralty (Second Sea Lord's Office) 1943-1945, mainly concerned with Officer Appointments in Western Approaches escort ships; War Course, Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 1950-1951, retired 1952; Served in Merchant Navy, Commonwealth and Dominion Line (later renamed the Port Line), 1922-1929, Cunard 1929-1934, Extra Master's Certificate, 1930; Colonial Maritime Service, 1935-1940 (Palestine) and 1946-1950 (Marine Superintendent, Western Pacific High Commission, based in Fiji); Courtaulds Ltd, Central Staff Dept 1951-1968, died 1999.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Autobiography of Capt Humphrey Gilbert Boys-Smith From the Cradle to Within Sight of the Grave (1983). Including childhood and education; service in Merchant Navy, 1922-1934; account of Invergordon Mutiny, 1931; appointment to command of anti submarine corvette, HMS ANEMONE, 1940; evacuation from Dunkirk, making 6 crossings in requisitioned boats; service in HMS ANEMONE, Atlantic convoys, Jun 1940- Feb1942, including HMS ANEMONE'S sinking of Italian submarine NANI, 1941; comment on shortcomings of Asdic, 1940-1941; patrol against possible approach of the German battleship TIRPITZ, Arctic Circle, 1941; promotion to Cdr, Dec 1941; appointment to command of frigate HMS SPEY, Atlantic convoys, Mar 1942; service in Support Groups, Atlantic, autumn 1942- summer 1943 (hunting U boats, not protecting convoys); invasion of North Africa, late 1942; Capt, 1943-1945, in Officer Appointments, Second Sea Lord's Office, Admiralty; Marine Superintendent, Colonial Office service, South Seas islands, 1946-1950; Senior Officers' War Course, RN College Greenwich, 1950-1951; Staff Recruiting Officer, Courtaulds Ltd, 1951-1968; retirement, 1968-1982 Also file of copies of correspondence and press cuttings on honours and awards and report by Boys-Smith on marine policy in the Western Pacific, Sep 1946

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Deposited by the family for copying, July 2000

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Sources: Who's Who, Navy Lists, presscuttings. Compiled by Alan Kucia as part of the RSLP AIM25 project

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Aug 2001


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Merchant shipping | Maritime transport | Transport
Sea transport x Maritime transport
Shipping
Water transport

Personal names
Smith | Humprey Gilbert | Boys- | 1904-1999 | RN Captain x Boys-Smith | Humphrey Gilbert

Corporate names
HMS Anemone | corvette | 1940
HMS Spey | River class frigate | 1941
Merchant Navy
Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Places
Atlantic Ocean | Oceans