Rear Admiral Hugh Richard Marrack, CBE, DSC (5 July 1888 – 12 February 1972) was a submarine specialist in the Royal Navy who commanded both the Portland and China Submarine flotillas and was Commodore Superintendent, Gibraltar, 1943–45. Marrack later became an ADC to King George VI.
Early life[]
Hugh Richard Marrack was educated at Blundell's School in Tiverton and at HMS Britannia.
Service biography[]
Marrack’s appointments included:
- 1902 - Cadet, HMS Britannia
- 1904 – Promoted to Midshipman (15 July 1904)
- 1907 – Promoted to Sub Lieutenant (15 October 1907)
- 1908 - Sub-Lt, Submarine Branch of RN and appointed to HMS Mercury at Portsmouth 'for Instruction in Submarine Boats'
- 1909 - Appointed to HMS Mercury 'for Submarines' and later to HMS Bonaventure at Queenstown 'for Submarines'.
- 1911-1912 - Commanding Officer HM Submarine A10
- 1912-1919 - Commanding Officer HM Submarine C19 and HM Submarine E51 (minelayer)
- 1918-1928 - Commanding Officer HM Submarines, L71, HMS Fermoy (the Depot Ship of the Periscope School at Portland), K8, M3 and HM Australian Submarine Oxley.
- 1929-1931 - Commanding Officer, HMS Titania (submarine depot ship) & as Captain (S) 6th Submarine Flotilla (Portland Submarine Flotilla)
- 1931-1933 – Commanding Officer, HMS Medway (submarine depot ship) & Captain (S) 4th Submarine Flotilla (China)
- 1933 (May–June) - Commodore-in-Charge of Naval Establishments at Hong Kong HMS Tamar
- 1933–1934 - Senior officers' war course at the RN War College, Greenwich
- 1934 - Tactical course, HM Dockyard, Portsmouth (HMS Victory)
- 1934-1937 - Commanding Officer HMS Carlisle (Africa Station)
- 1937-1943 – Captain Superintendent, HM Dockyard Sheerness (and, from 12 December also Commodore-in-Charge)
- 1943-1945 - Commodore Superintendent, Gibraltar
Marrack married Christine Banbury Pilkington (née Hallett) at the Old Parish Church in Upper Dovercourt on 7 July 1917. Christine Pilkington was the widow of Lieutenant George Pilkington who died when HM Submarine C31 was lost on 7 January 1915. Marrack was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1943. He retired as a Rear admiral and died in the Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar.
Papers[]
The Imperial War Museum in London holds the papers of Rear Admiral Hugh Marrack 1932-1937 (ref: 72/52/1), including account of the seizure of the Chinese quarter of Shanghai by the Chinese Nationalist Army led by Gen Chiang Kai-shek, Apr 1927 (written 1932); account of service as Commanding Officer, HMS CARLISLE, Africa Station 1934-1937; account of visit of HMS CARLISLE to Tristan de Cunha 1937; two files of papers relating to submarines.
References[]
- Obituary of Rear Admiral Hugh Richard Marrack, The Times, Thursday, Feb 17, 1972 (pg. 18; Issue 58404; col G)
- Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Survey of the Papers of Senior UK Defence Personnel, 1900-1975, Marrack, Hugh Richard, King's College London
- Submariners Association, biography of Hugh Richard Marrack
The original article can be found at Hugh Marrack and the edit history here.