Vice Admiral Norman Atherton Wodehouse (18 May 1887 – 4 July 1941) 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 killed in the Second World War. He had gained 14 caps for England at rugby union, including six as captain between 1910 and 1913. Wodehouse was acting as a convoy commodore when his ship was sunk by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

Naval career

Wodehouse joined the

in 1902, serving as a midshipman in the Atlantic Fleet in 1904. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Wodehouse served in the battleship at the Battle of Jutland as a gunnery officer. After the war he was appointed aide-de-camp to King George VI and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath. He commanded

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 ...

from 1931 to 1934. Just before the outbreak of 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 ...

Wodehouse became Rear Admiral, Gibraltar, a post he held until November 1939. He was placed on the Retired List in 1940 and in 1941 became a Convoy Commodore in the

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...

. He was killed onboard the merchant vessel ''Robert L. Holt'' when it was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Canary Islands by on 4 July 1941, after he had ordered the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

bound convoy OB-337 he was commanding to scatter due to the attacks by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

submarines. ''U-69'' sunk the ''Robert L. Holt'' in a gun duel. The U-boat fired 102 high explosive rounds and 34 incendiary rounds from the deck gun, 220 rounds from the 20mm gun and 400 rounds with the MG34. ''Robert L. Holt'' was sunk with the loss of all 56 crew including Wodehouse.

Family

He married Mrs Theodosia Frances Swire, née Boyle (1890–1966), daughter of Commander Edward Boyle and Theodosia Ogilvie, and widow of Captain Douglas William Swire (d. 1920), on 22 October 1923. By his wife Theodosia, he had two sons: * Rev. Armine Boyle Wodehouse (1924-2017), who has been twice married (once widowed), and has had issue, one son and two daughters. * Charles Norman Boyle Wodehouse, (1927-2011), who has married, and has issue, one son and two daughters.

References

External links

Commemoration of Rugby players who died in the two World Wars

Photographs of Wodehouse at the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wodehouse, Norman Atherton 1887 births 1941 deaths Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II Companions of the Order of the Bath England international rugby union players English rugby union players People from Basford, Nottinghamshire Rugby union players from Nottinghamshire Royal Navy admirals of World War II Royal Navy officers of World War I Royal Navy rugby union players Norman Wodehouse Military personnel from Nottinghamshire Rugby union forwards Convoy commodores

Naval career

Family

See also

References

External links