Douglas Boyle

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Douglas Boyle
Born29 November 1923
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Died23 July 2001 (aged 77)
Ottawa, Ontario
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Royal Canadian Navy
Naval Ensign of Canada.svg Canadian Forces
Years of service1939–1977
RankCanada-Navy-OF-8-collected.svg Vice-Admiral
Commands heldHMCS Athabaskan
HMCS Saguenay
4th Canadian Escort Squadron
Standing Naval Force Atlantic
Maritime Command
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsOrder of Military Merit
Canadian Forces Decoration

Vice Admiral Douglas Seaman Boyle CMM, CD (29 November 1923 – 23 July 2001) was a Canadian Forces officer who served as Commander of Maritime Command from 21 August 1973 to 14 June 1977.

Career[]

Boyle joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1939 and trained at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth before serving in the cruiser HMS Diomede and the destroyers HMS Wolsey, HMCS Iroquois and HMCS Chaudiere during the Second World War.[1] He became Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Athabaskan in 1957, Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMCS Saguenay in 1959 and Commander of the 4th Canadian Escort Squadron in 1962.[1] He went on to be Director Naval Training at the National Defence Headquarters in 1964, Director Senior Appointments (Navy) in 1964 and Director General Postings & Careers in 1966.[1] After that he became Commander NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic in 1970, Director General Plans Requirements and Production in 1971 and Chief of Personnel for the Canadian Armed Forces in 1972.[1] His last appointment was as Commander Maritime Command in 1973, in which role he complained about the gap between commitments and capability at Maritime Command,[2] before retiring in 1977.[1]





Awards and decorations[]

Boyle's personal awards and decorations include the following:

Order of Military Merit (Canada) ribbon (CMM).jpg
Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.pngRibbon - Atlantic Star & Clasp.pngRibbon - Defence Medal.pngCanadian Volunteer Service Medal BAR 2.svg
War Medal 39-45 w MID BAR.svgRibbon - QE II Coronation Medal.pngCanada100 ribbon.pngCD-ribbon and 2 bars.png


Ribbon Description Notes
Order of Military Merit (Canada) ribbon (CMM).jpg Order of Military Merit (CMM)
  • Appointed Commander (CMM) on 14 June 1976[3]
Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.png 1939–1945 Star
  • WWII 1939-1945
Ribbon - Atlantic Star & Clasp.png Atlantic Star
  • WWII 1939-1945 with France & Germany Clasp
Ribbon - Defence Medal.png Defence Medal (United Kingdom)
  • WWII 1939-1945
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal BAR 2.svg Canadian Volunteer Service Medal
  • WWII 1939-1945 with Overseas Service bar
War Medal 39-45 w MID BAR.svg War Medal 1939–1945 with Mentioned in dispatches
  • WWII 1939-1945[4]
Ribbon - QE II Coronation Medal.png Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1952
Canada100 ribbon.png Canadian Centennial Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 1967
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
  • with two Clasp for 32 years of services

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Boyle, Douglas Seaman The Nauticapedia
  2. ^ Generally Speaking Canadian Naval Review, Winter 2008
  3. ^ "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.
  4. ^ "For outstanding leadership, skill and devotion to duty in HMS Icarus and H.M. Canadian Ships Chilliwack, Chaudiere, Fennel, Gatineau and St. Catherines in a successful operation against a U-Boat.
    Chapter 34 of "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939–1945" describes the sinking of U-744 by C-2 Support Group on 6 March 1944 in the Atlantic. HMCS Chaudiere was part of C-2 Support Group."
Military offices
Preceded by Commander Maritime Command
1973–1977 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""