Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Richard Benest Janvrin (2 May 1915 – 15 January 1993) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (1966–68) and Flag Officer Naval Air Command (1968–70).

Naval career

Educated at the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...

, Janvrin joined the

in 1929 and specialised in

aerial observation Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of imagery ...

.''Who’s Who in Naval History: From 1550 to the Present'', Published 2004, Taylor and Francis, He was confirmed as a sub-lieutenant (from acting sub-lieutenant) on 16 January 1936, and promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 1 October 1937. Janvrin served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and acted as an observer at the

Battle of Taranto The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni. The Royal Navy launched ...

in November 1940, serving on HMS ''Illustrious''. For his service, he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

on 20 May 1941. An acting

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

at war's end, he was promoted to substantive lieutenant commander on 1 October 1945. Promoted to commander on 31 December 1948, Janvrin was given command of the destroyer in 1951. Promoted to captain on 30 June 1954, he was given command of and the 2nd Training Squadron in 1957,Senior Royal Navy appointments
and the aircraft carrier in 1959. He was appointed Director of Tactical and Weapons Policy Division of the Admiralty Naval Staff from 1962 to 1963. He was promoted to rear admiral on 7 January 1964, appointed

Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1970 to 1979. However, its antecedents date to 1931. A Flag Officer with specific responsibilities for command of aircraft carriers within the Roy ...

the same year and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the

1965 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1965 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...

. Janvrin became Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in 1966 and was promoted to vice admiral on 27 November 1967. He was appointed Flag Officer Naval Air Command in 1968, and a

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as o ...

in the

1969 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1969 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lond ...

. He was placed on the retired list on 15 January 1971.

Family and later life

In 1938 Janvrin married Nancy Edyth Fielding; they had two sons (Simon and Robin). Janvrin lived at Allen's Close in Stroud in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

. He died on 15 January 1993, aged 77.The Peerage.com
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janvrin, Richard 1915 births 1993 deaths Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy officers of World War II