| Richard Washbourn | |
|---|---|
 Washbourn during World War II | |
| Born | 14 February 1910 |
| Died | 8 August 1988 (aged 78) |
| Place of birth | Sumner, New Zealand |
| Place of death | Onekaka, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom / New Zealand |
| Service/branch | |
| Years of service | 1927–1965 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | Chief of Naval Staff |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Spouse(s) | June Herapath (m. 1943) |
| Relations | Enga Washbourn (sister) |
Rear Admiral Richard Everley Washbourn CB DSO OBE (14 February 1910 – 8 August 1988) was a senior officer of the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from the 1940s to the 1960s. He served as the New Zealand Chief of Naval Staff between 1963 and 1965.
Biography[]
Born in Sumner, New Zealand, on 14 February 1910, Washbourn was the son of Henry Everley Arthur Washbourn and Sydney Laing Washbourn (née Sinclair).[1][2][3] His oldest sister was the artist Enga Washbourn.[3] He was educated at Nelson College from 1919 to 1927.[4] As a 13-year-old, he rescued a man from drowning in the Maitai River.[5] He joined the Royal Navy after leaving school, serving for the next eight years in HMS Erebus, HMS London, HMS Warspite and HMS Diomede.[1] From 1936 to 1937, he became a gunnery specialist, and was posted to HMS Excellent in 1938 and HMS Achilles the following year.[1]
Washbourn served with the Royal Navy and then RNZN during the Second World War. He was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1940 his actions while serving in HMS Achilles during the Battle of the River Plate. His citation read:
Lieutenant Richard E. Washbourn, ... who, when early in the action several splinters struck the Gun Director Tower, at once killing three men and wounding two others inside the tower, though wounded on the head by a splinter which half stunned him and killed the man behind him, continued to control the main armament with the utmost coolness. He set a magnificent example to the rest of the Director Tower crew, who all stood to their posts and made light of the incident. Thus the Primary Control kept working and secured throughout the action a high rate of hits on the enemy.[6]
Washbourn remained with Achilles until 1942, when he returned to HMS Excellent. He transferred to HMS Anson in 1943.[1] In mid 1943, he married June Beatrice Medwin Herapath at St Mary Abbots in Kensington, London,[7] and the couple went on to have two children.[8] Washbourn spent the last two years of World War II at the Admiralty Gunnery Establishment.[1]
From 1946 to 1948, Washbourn served as executive officer on HMNZS Bellona,[1] and in the 1950 New Zealand New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[9] He was commander superintendent of Devonport Naval Base in Auckland in 1950, deputy director of Naval Ordnance from 1951 to 1952, and commanded HMS Manxman in 1953. He served as chief staff officer to Flag Officer (Flotillas) in the Mediterranean during 1954 and 1955, and then was Director of Naval Ordnance from 1956 to 1958. He commanded HMS Tiger in 1959, and served as Director-General of Weapons for the Admiralty between 1960 and 1962.[1] In the 1961 British New Year Honours, Washbourn was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[10]
After retiring from the Royal Navy in 1962, Washbourn returned to New Zealand, serving as Chief of Naval Staff from 1963 to 1965.[1][11]
In 1964, Washbourn purchased the bell of HMS Chevron from the Rosyth Dockyard for £8, and donated it to Collingwood Area School|Collingwood District High School the following year.[1]
Washbourn died in the Golden Bay settlement of Onekaka on 8 August 1988.[8][12] His wife, June Washbourn, died in 1993.[13]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "HMS Chevron's bell". 17 July 2022. https://brisray.com/dad/chevron-bell.htm.
- ↑ "Birth search: registration number 1910/5416". Department of Internal Affairs. https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Goulter, Jeremy. "Washbourn, Enga Margaret". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5w11.
- ↑ "Full school list of Nelson College, 1856–2005". Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006 (CD-ROM) (6th ed.). 2006.
- ↑ "Plucky rescue". Manawatū Standard. 7 December 1923. p. 5. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19231207.2.34.
- ↑
This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence: "No. 34796". 23 February 1940. p. 1058. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34796/supplement/1058
- ↑ "Women's topics". Evening Post. 3 July 1943. p. 8. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19430703.2.125.1.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Obituary: Rear-Admiral R.E. Washbourn". The Press. 10 August 1988. p. 45. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19880810.2.167.
- ↑ "No. 38798". 2 January 1950. p. 35. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38798/supplement/35
- ↑ "No. 42231". 27 December 1960. p. 8890. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42231/supplement/8890
- ↑ "Admiral Washbourn to settle in N.Z.". The Press. 10 October 1962. p. 22. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19621010.2.199.
- ↑ "Richard Everley Washbourn". Auckland War Memorial Museum. https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/180135.
- ↑ "Plot record details". Nelson City Council. https://online.nelson.magiqcloud.com/cemeteries/plot_records/5033.
The original article can be found at Richard Washbourn and the edit history here.