Harold Auten
Encyclopedia
Commander Harold Auten VC
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(22 August 1891 – 3 October 1964) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
A former pupil of Wilson's School
, he was 26 years old and a lieutenant
in the Royal Naval Reserve
during the First World War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 July 1918, in the English Channel
, off the coast of England
, Lieutenant Auten was in command of HMS Stock Force (one of the 'Q' or 'mystery' ships
) when she was torpedoed by a U-boat
and very badly damaged. The 'Panic party' took to the boats and the U-boat surfaced half a mile away, but after 15 minutes the 'Panic party' began to row back, followed by the U-boat. When it lay about 300 yards from Stock Force, the guns opened fire, doing tremendous damage to the submarine, which sank in a very short time. Nearing safe harbour,Stock Force finally sank about four hours later, Lieutenant Auten and her crew being taken off by a torpedo boat.
During World War II
, he held the rank of Commander in the RNR and served as senior staff organizing trans-Atlantic convoys. In his subsequent civilian life became executive Vice-President of the Rank Organisation
, living in the United States.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Naval Museum
, in Portsmouth
, England.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
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Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
(22 August 1891 – 3 October 1964) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
A former pupil of Wilson's School
Wilson's School
Wilson's School is a boys' grammar school in Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton, UK. Admission is based on performance in an entrance test with around 1,000 pupils being taught there....
, he was 26 years old and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 July 1918, in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, off the coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Lieutenant Auten was in command of HMS Stock Force (one of the 'Q' or 'mystery' ships
Q-ship
Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
) when she was torpedoed by a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
and very badly damaged. The 'Panic party' took to the boats and the U-boat surfaced half a mile away, but after 15 minutes the 'Panic party' began to row back, followed by the U-boat. When it lay about 300 yards from Stock Force, the guns opened fire, doing tremendous damage to the submarine, which sank in a very short time. Nearing safe harbour,Stock Force finally sank about four hours later, Lieutenant Auten and her crew being taken off by a torpedo boat.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he held the rank of Commander in the RNR and served as senior staff organizing trans-Atlantic convoys. In his subsequent civilian life became executive Vice-President of the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
, living in the United States.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Naval Museum
Royal Naval Museum
The Royal Naval Museum is the museum of the history of the Royal Navy in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard section of HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Its current Acting Director is Graham Dobbin....
, in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, England.
External links
- Burial location of Harold Auten "Pennsylvania, USA"
- Location of Harold Auten's Victoria Cross "Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth"
- Harold Auten at Find-A-Grave