19 Facts About Dick Raikes

Lieutenant Commander Richard Prendergast Raikes was an officer in the Royal Navy notable for being the commanding officer of the submarine HMS Tuna that launched the canoes during Operation Frankton in 1942.

Dick Raikes's aunts had seven brothers who had been awarded eight DSOs and four MCs in First World War; two had died, one had become a general and another had become an admiral.

Dick Raikes entered Dartmouth aged thirteen in 1925; he became Chief Cadet Captain and was awarded the King's dirk.

Dick Raikes served in the battleship HMS Warspite as a midshipman when she was based in Malta.

Dick Raikes was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 16 January 1933 but in the same year the 'bullshit' of the gunnery course at HMS Excellent on Whale Island made him determined to only serve in small ships without guns.

Dick Raikes attended submarine training at HMS Dolphin in Gosport later that year and served in HMS L22, HMS Clyde, HMS H32 and HMS Severn before the war.

Dick Raikes was promoted to lieutenant on 16 March 1935 and was present the same year at the Fleet Review for King George V's Silver Jubilee off Spithead whilst serving in the newly built River-class submarine HMS Clyde.

Dick Raikes returned to Malta and became first lieutenant of the submarine HMS Severn.

Dick Raikes passed his 'Perisher' course in 1940 and in September 1941 took command of HMS Seawolf which was sent to Polyarnoe in the Arctic, where he remained for a year.

Dick Raikes became commanding officer of HMS Tuna on 24 August 1942.

Dick Raikes's orders continued laconically, "The party will escape overland to Spain".

Dick Raikes recorded in his post-operational report, "2022 waved 'au revoir' to a magnificent bunch of black faced villains with whom it has been a real pleasure to work, and, withdrew to the south and west".

Dick Raikes was promoted to lieutenant commander on 16 March 1943.

Dick Raikes attended the Trend committee which oversaw the U-boat war.

Dick Raikes then commanded the captured U-3514 and a group of similar U-boats during Operation Deadlight, the scuttling by the Royal Navy of surrendered boats.

Dick Raikes was medically discharged from the Royal Navy in 1946.

Dick Raikes initially wanted to go into the hotel trade but eventually took up a job in the publicity department of Marconi, where he worked from 1947 to 1972.

Dick Raikes once took passage in HMS Tuna from Holy Loch to Arrochar.

Dick Raikes's cousins were Vice Admiral Sir Iwan Raikes who became Flag Officer Submarines and Raymond Raikes the producer and director.