12 Facts About Harry DeWolf

Harry George DeWolf was born on 26 June 1903 into a shipping broker family in Bedford, Nova Scotia.

Harry DeWolf entered the Royal Canadian Navy in 1918 at age 15 when he attended the Royal Naval College of Canada at Esquimalt, British Columbia because the original Halifax-based school was destroyed by the 6 December 1917 Halifax Explosion.

Harry DeWolf was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1924 and took a six-month course in gunnery, torpedoes and navigation at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

Harry DeWolf was made Assistant Director of Intelligence and Plans.

St Laurent under Harry DeWolf reportedly fired the RCN's first shots of the war as they helped rescue British and French troops escaping from continental Europe during Operation Dynamo after the Fall of France in late May and early June 1940.

St Laurent returned to convoy duty in the North Atlantic, and the following month, in July 1940, Harry DeWolf's ship rescued 859 German and Italian prisoners of war, survivors of Arandora, which had been torpedoed by a U-boat, U-47.

Under Harry DeWolf, Haida earned a reputation as "the Fightingest Ship in the Canadian Navy", and was responsible for sinking 14 enemy ships in just over a year, earning numerous accolades.

Haida and Harry DeWolf saw service with convoys to Murmansk as well as operations to secure the English Channel in preparation for Operation Overlord.

Harry DeWolf left Haida and was recalled to Ottawa, where he was promoted to captain in September 1944, becoming Assistant Chief of Naval Staff.

Harry DeWolf served as Flag Officer Pacific Coast at Esquimalt from 1948 to 1950, then was recalled to NDHQ where he served as Vice Chief of Naval Staff from 1950 to 1952, then was posted to Washington, DC as principal military advisor to the Canadian ambassador from 1952 to 1956.

Harry DeWolf was promoted to vice admiral in January 1956 and served as Chief of the Naval Staff before retiring from the RCN on 31 July 1960.

Harry DeWolf was an active golfer and fisherman and he was active in the Royal Canadian Navy Benevolent Fund, which raises money for retired sailors down on their luck.