Alex Stuart-Menteth

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Alex Stuart-Menteth
Born(1912-08-26)26 August 1912
Mentioned in Despatches
Spouse(s)Penelope Giles

Enigma code fragments, which enabled Bletchley Park
to decipher the code. He commanded six ships during his career. He married in 1952, having two sons and a daughter, and seven grandchildren in turn.

Stuart-Menteth was born as one of four. He joined a navy cadet force in

mentioned in despatches in 1942, while working on HMS Aldenham after the ship sunk a U-boat, and a Distinguished Service Cross for sinking another U-boat. Stuart-Menteth was entrusted to the Royal Australian Navy in 1949, where he commanded two destroyers. He ran the Scottish Corps of Commissionaires
for 20 years after his 1958 retirement.

Early life

HMS Dragon, where Stuart-Menteth served as a cadet

Henry Alexander Stuart-Menteth, often abbreviated to Alex Stuart-Menteth,

America, and on the shore establishment HMS President on his promotion course.[4]

Naval career

Alex Stuart-Menteth served on the destroyers

home fleet in 1935 and 1936, the minesweeper HMS Elgin in the reserve fleet in 1935, and HMS Defender in 1935 serving in China.[1][4]

Second World War

On 28 August 1939,

Second World War, Stuart-Menteth joined the destroyer HMS Hunter.[2] Hunter was in Captain Bernard Warburton-Lee's 2nd Flotilla, along with four other destroyers.[1] On 10 April 1940, in a snowstorm, the Flotilla attacked the port of Narvik, held by the Germans.[1] Four German destroyers were sunk and seven damaged, notably sinking SS Rauenfels, an 8,500-ton ship transporting ammunition.[1] Hunter was set alight and torpedoed,[2] leading to her sinking.[1] As she sank, Stuart-Menteth was trapped by a malfunctioning davit with a leg wound[1] on the upper deck.[2] A rating saved Stuart-Menteth, and they were both picked up by German sailors.[2]

"I vaguely remember being hauled out of the water, but must have passed out, and when I came to, I was lying on the deck in the German destroyer's wardroom. I remember seeing a picture of Hitler on the wall facing me."

The Telegraph quoting Stuart-Menteth on Hunter's sinking.[1]

Stuart-Menteth was first lieutenant of HMS Somali

Stuart-Menteth was taken to Narvik, at a civilian hospital.

Enigma codes.[1]

In May 1941, Stuart-Menteth again assisted the capture of Enigma material from the German ship München, enabling Bletchley Park to begin to decipher German Enigma codes.[1] Several months later, he was given command of his first ship, HMS Berkeley, a Hunt-class destroyer.[1] Stuart-Menteth joined HMS Aldenham in March 1942, and helped sink the German submarine U-58.[1][2] He was mentioned in despatches[5] on 2 June 1943 as "Lieutenant-Commander Henry Alexander Stuart-Menteth, Royal Navy";[6] after commanding Aldenham in a disastrous mission in the Aegean Sea.[1] In late 1943, Stuart-Menteth took command of HMS Dinosaur, and partook in training officers of landing craft.[1] His last command in the war was HMS Havelock, with which he assisted in the sinking of U-242, for which he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross.[1]

After the war

HMS St. James

After World War II on 13 February 1946

World Wildlife Fund for 10 years.[2]

Personal life

Stuart-Menteth met Penelope Giles in 1952 in Australia, the couple married, having a daughter and two sons: Andrew Alexander (1954), Walter Henry (1957), and Harriet Lucy (1959);[3] and seven grandchildren.[2] He died on 14 May 2000 in Edinburgh, Lothian.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Commander Alex Stuart-Menteth". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 6 June 2000. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Thomas, Campbell (18 July 2000). "Cmdr Alex Stuart-Menteth (via Highbeam)". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9780971196629
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945". unitedhistories.com. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Admiralty Fleet Orders" (PDF). The Australian Navy. 10 June 1943. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 June, 1943 [PDF]" (PDF). London Gazette. 2 June 1943. p. 2445. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
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