Biographical Data
DeWolf, Harry George Photo Credit: Unknown

 

Title	Vice-Admiral (RCN)
Official Number	O-19460

 

Birth	26/06/1903	Death	18/12/2000
Place	Bedford	Place	Ottawa
Area	NS	Area	ON
Country	Canada	Country	Canada

 

Titles
Honours	CBE. DSO. DSC. M.I.D. (Four Times). Officer of the Legion of Merit (USA), Officer of the Legion of Honour (France), Croix de Guerre avec Palme en Bronze (France), King Haakon VII Cross of Liberation (Norway), psc, jssc.
Awards	DMilSc (Hon. RMC) 1966. Hon. DilMSc (RRMC) 1980.
Qualifications

 

Biography

 

Military Service

He was appointed as a Naval Cadet RCN (With seniority dated 22/09/1918). He served in the Royal Naval College of Canada (Ninth Term) (Cadet Captain) 1918. He was appointed as Midshipman RCN (With seniority dated 01/09/1921). He served in HMCS Guelph 1921. He served in H.M.S. Resolution 1921. He served in HMCS Stadacona 1923. He was appointed as A/Sub-Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1924). He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/07/1924). He served in H.M.S. Cheltenham for Test Mobilization 1924. He served in H.M.S. President for Royal Naval College Greenwich 1924. He served in H.M.S. Excellent for Course 1925. He served in HMCS Patriot 1925. He was appointed as Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/04/1926). He served in H.M.S. Capetown 1927. He served in HMCS Patriot 1927. He served in H.M.S. Restless 1927. He served in H.M.S. Champion 1928. He served in H.M.S. Dryad for Long Navigation Course 1928. He served in H.M.S. Argus 1928. He served in HMCS Champlain 1928. He served in HMCS Stadacona 1929. He served in HMCS Naden 1929. He served in HMCS Festubert (In command) 1930. He served in HMCS Vancouver as Executive Officer and for Navigating Duties 1932. He served in HMCS Skeena 1933. He was appointed as Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/04/1934). He served in HMCS Naden 1935. He served in HMCS Stadacona for duty at Naval HQ 1935. He served in the RN Staff College Course 1937. He served in H.M.S. President for Special Service outside the Admiralty with the Chief of Naval Staff Ottawa 1937. He served in RN Staff College Course (Continuation) 1937. He served in H.M.S. London as Staff Officer (Operations) to Rear Admiral Commanding First Cruiser Squadron 1937. He served in HMCS Ottawa (I) on Staff of Captain (D) 1938. He served in HMCS St. Laurent (I) (In command) 1939. He was appointed as Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/07/1940). He served in HMCS Stadacona as Staff Officer (Operations) to Commanding Officer Atlantic Coast 1940. He served in HMCS Stadacona as Chief Staff Officer to Commanding Officer Atlantic Coast 1941. He was appointed as A/Captain RCN (With seniority dated 01/12/1941). He served in HMCS Bonaventure as Chief Staff Officer to Commanding Officer Atlantic Coast 1942. He served in NHQ as Director of Plans 1942. He served in HMCS Haida (In command) 1943. (HMCS St. Laurent, under his command, was the first Canadian warship to engage the enemy in Second World War on 09/06/1940 when firing on German troops at St. Valery near Dieppe France. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1944 for gallantry and leadership in two successful destroyer actions on 26/04 and 29/04 1944 when in command of Haida. Awarded a bar to the DSC "for good services in action with destroyer force" after Haida had participated in actions against German destroyers and sunk ZH1 off the Brittany coast on 08/06/1944.) He was appointed as Captain (With seniority dated 01/07/1944), He was appointed as A/Commodore RCN (With seniority dated 01/12/1944). He served in NHQ as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff 1944. He was appointed as A/Commodore RCN (With seniority dated 15/10/1945). He served in NHQ as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, Fourth Member of the Naval Board 1946. He was appointed as Commodore RCN (With seniority dated 01/01/1947). He served in HMCS Warrior (In command) and Senior Canadian Naval Officer Afloat 1947. He served in HMCS Magnificent (In command) and Senior Canadian Naval Officer Afloat 1948. He was appointed as Rear-Admiral RCN (With seniority dated 08/09/1948). Flag Officer Pacific Coast 1948. He served in NHQ as Vice-Chief Naval Staff and Member of the Naval Board 1950. He served in HMCS Niagara as Principal Military Advisor to the Canadian Ambassador and Chairman Canadian Joint Staff Washington and Representative of the NATO Military Committee and Canadian Liaison Representative to SACLANT 1956. He was appointed as Vice-Admiral RCN (With seniority dated 16/01/1956). He served in NHQ as Chief of Naval Staff 1956-60. (He was retired on 25/05/1961.)

 

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown
Named Features	DeWolf Island (BC);

 

Anecdotes

 

References
Government of Canada The Canadian Navy List Ottawa ON; MacFarlane, John M. (1994); Blatherwick, John (1992);
Last update
2015-04-28 00:00:00

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