{{Short description|Royal Canadian Navy officer}} {{Infobox military person |name = Ralph Hennessy |image = |caption = |rank = Vice-Admiral |branch = Royal Canadian Navy |family = |nickname = |allegiance = Canada |birth_date = 4 September 1918 |death_date = {{death date and age|2014|06|13|df=y|1918|09|4}} |birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland |death_place = Ottawa, Ontario |service_years = 1935–1970 |battles = Second World War |commands = {{HMCS|Assiniboine|I18|6}}<br />{{HMCS|Gatineau|H61|6}}<br />{{HMCS|Micmac|R10|6}}<br />Atlantic Coast<br />Royal Canadian Navy |awards = Distinguished Service Cross<br />Canadian Forces' Decoration }} Vice Admiral '''Ralph Lucien Hennessy''' DSC, CD (4 September 1918 – 13 June 2014) was a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.
== Naval career == Hennessy joined the Royal Canadian Navy as a cadet in 1935.<ref name=blath>{{cite web|url=https://www.blatherwick.net/documents/Commanders%20Royal%20Canadian%20Navy/1966%20to%201968%20VAdm%20Ralph%20Hennessy.pdf |title=Vice-Admiral Ralph Lucien Hennessy, DSC, CD|publisher=Blatherwick|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> He served in the Second World War<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/canadas-oldest-living-vice-admiral-dead-at-95 |title=Obituary: Ralph Hennessy's storied life at sea|date=19 June 2014|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> in command of the destroyers {{HMCS|Assiniboine|I18|6}}, {{HMCS|Gatineau|H61|6}}, and {{HMCS|Micmac|R10|6}}.<ref name="blath" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://uboat.net/allies/commanders/1178.html|title=Ralph Lucien Hennessy DSC, RCN|publisher=Uboat.net| access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> He went on to be Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel in 1960, Flag Officer Atlantic Coast in 1963 and Chair of Military Manpower in 1964.<ref name="blath" /> His last role was as Principal Naval Adviser, from 1966 to 1968.<ref name="blath" />
== Awards and decorations == Hennessy's personal awards and decorations include the following:
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{| class="wikitable" |- style="background:Navy;color:White" align="center" |'''Ribbon'''||'''Description'''||'''Notes''' |- |80px || Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) || *Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35833/supplement/5567/data.pdf. |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |date=22 December 1942 |quote=For gallantry and distinguished services before the enemy.}} The action in which HMCS ''Assiniboine'' sank ''U-210'' on 6 August 1942 in the North Atlantic while protecting Convoy SC 94 is described in Chapter 14 of ''The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939–1945''. Hennessy was First Lieutenant on HMCS ''Assiniboine'' at this time.</ref> |- |80px || 1939–1945 Star || *WWII 1939–1945 |- |80px || Atlantic Star || *WWII 1939–1945 with '''France & Germany '''Clasp |- |x25px || Defence Medal (United Kingdom) || *WWII 1939–1945 |- |80px || Canadian Volunteer Service Medal || *WWII 1939–1945 with '''Overseas Service bar''' |- |80px || War Medal 1939–1945 || *WWII 1939–1945 |- | 80px || Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal || * Decoration awarded in 1952 |- | 80px || Canadian Centennial Medal || *Decoration awarded in 1967 |- | 80px || Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal || *Decoration awarded in 1977 *Canadian version |- |80px || 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal || *Decoration awarded in 1992 |- ||{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-|ribbon=CAN Canadian Forces Decoration ribbon with two bars.svg|width=80}} || Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) || * with two Clasp for 32 years of services * George VI version |- |80px || Commissionaires Long Service Medal || * with three Clasp for 27 years of services
|}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box|title=Principal Naval Adviser|before=Kenneth Dyer|after=William Landymore<br /><small>(as Commander of Maritime Command)</small>|years=1966–1968}} {{s-end}}
{{Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennessy, Ralph}} Category:1918 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Canadian admirals Category:Royal Canadian Navy personnel of World War II Category:Canadian recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)