Ralph Hennessy

Ralph Hennessy
Ralph Hennessy
Born	4 September 1918; Second World War
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross; Canadian Forces' Decoration

Vice Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy DSC, CD (4 September 1918 – 13 June 2014) was a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy

Naval career

Hennessy joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a cadet in 1935.^[1] He served in the Second World War^[2] in command of the destroyers HMCS Assiniboine, HMCS Gatineau and HMCS Micmac.^[1]^[3] He went on to be Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel in 1960, Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in 1963 and Chair of Military Manpower in 1964.^[1] His last role was as Principal Naval Adviser from 1966 to 1968.^[1]

Hennessy's personal awards and decorations include the following:

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)	Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)^[4]
	1939–1945 Star	WWII 1939–1945
	Atlantic Star	WWII 1939–1945 with France & Germany Clasp
	Defence Medal (United Kingdom)	WWII 1939–1945
	Canadian Volunteer Service Medal	WWII 1939–1945 with Overseas Service bar
	War Medal 1939–1945	WWII 1939–1945
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal	Decoration awarded in 1952
	Canadian Centennial Medal	Decoration awarded in 1967
	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	Decoration awarded in 1977 Canadian version
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal	Decoration awarded in 1992
	Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)	with two Clasp for 32 years of services George VI version
	Commissionaires Long Service Medal	with three Clasp for 27 years of services

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Vice-Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy, DSC, CD" (PDF). Blatherwick. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
^ "Obituary: Ralph Hennessy's storied life at sea". Ottawa Citizen. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
^ "Ralph Lucien Hennessy DSC, RCN". Uboat.net. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
^ "Supplement to the London Gazette". 22 December 1942. For gallantry and distinguished services before the enemy. The action in which HMCS Assiniboine sank U-210 on 6 August 1942 in the North Atlantic while protecting Convoy SC 94 is described in Chapter 14 of The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939–1945. Hennessy was First Lieutenant on HMCS Assiniboine at this time.

Military offices
Preceded by Kenneth Dyer	Principal Naval Adviser 1966–1968	Succeeded by William Landymore (as Commander of Maritime Command)

v t e Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy
Directors of the Naval Service	Charles Kingsmill Walter Hose
Chiefs of the Naval Staff	Walter Hose Percy Nelles George Jones Howard Reid Harold Grant Rollo Mainguy Harry DeWolf Herbert Rayner
Principal Naval Adviser	Kenneth Dyer Ralph Hennessy
Commanders, Maritime Command	William Landymore John O'Brien Henry Porter Robert Timbrell Douglas Boyle Andrew Collier John Allan Andrew Fulton James Wood Charles Thomas Robert George John Anderson Peter Cairns Larry Murray Lynn Mason
Chiefs of the Maritime Staff	Gary Garnett Greg Maddison Ronald Buck Bruce MacLean Drew Robertson Dean McFadden
Commanders of the Royal Canadian Navy	Paul Maddison Mark Norman Ron Lloyd Art McDonald Craig Baines Angus Topshee