Harry DeWolf

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Canadian naval officer (1903–2000)

title: "Harry DeWolf" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1903-births", "2000-deaths", "burials-at-sea", "canadian-admirals", "canadian-military-personnel-from-nova-scotia", "royal-canadian-navy-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "canadian-commanders-of-the-order-of-the-british-empire", "canadian-companions-of-the-distinguished-service-order", "foreign-recipients-of-the-legion-of-merit", "canadian-recipients-of-the-legion-of-honour", "people-from-bedford,-nova-scotia", "canadian-recipients-of-the-distinguished-service-cross-(united-kingdom)", "royal-canadian-navy-officers", "graduates-of-the-royal-naval-college,-greenwich", "commanders-of-the-royal-canadian-navy", "dewolf-family"] description: "Canadian naval officer (1903–2000)" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_DeWolf" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Canadian naval officer (1903–2000) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military person"]

Field	Value
name	Harry DeWolf
image	Harry DeWolf.png
caption	Commander Harry G. DeWolf, Commanding Officer, on the bridge of the destroyer , 5 May 1944
birth_date
death_date
birth_place	Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada
death_place	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
birth_name	Henry George DeWolf
nickname	Hard-Over-Harry
allegiance	Canada
branch	Royal Canadian Navy
serviceyears	1918–1960
rank	Vice-Admiral
commands

Flag Officer Pacific Coast Chief of the Naval Staff | battles = World War II

Dunkirk evacuation
Battle of the Atlantic
Arctic convoys
Operation Overlord
Battle of Ushant | awards = Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Service Cross Mentioned in Despatches Canadian Forces' Decoration Legion of Merit (United States) Légion d'honneur (France) | relations = DeWolf family | laterwork =

Vice Admiral Henry George DeWolf (26 June 1903 – 18 December 2000) was a Canadian naval officer who was famous as the first commander of during the Second World War.

Early years

| access-date = 20 December 2024 | via = Newspapers.com

Second World War

HMCS ''St. Laurent''

DeWolf returned to Canada in 1939 and was appointed commanding officer of the destroyer . St. Laurent was posted to convoy duty out of Halifax. St. Laurent under 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, DeWolf's ship rescued 859 German and Italian prisoners of war, survivors of , which had been torpedoed by a U-boat, . DeWolf was promoted to commander in 1940. He and his ship were mentioned in despatches twice during his service on St. Laurent.

Years later, he recalled the following incident, which took place while in command of St. Laurent:

::quote

HMCS ''Haida''

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Hmcs-haida.jpg" caption="Haida}} during [[Second World War]]. DeWolf was in command of the destroyer from August 1943 to September 1944."] ::

DeWolf took command of HMCS Haida in August 1943.

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

Cold War

During the postwar years, DeWolf commanded the aircraft carriers and between January 1947 and September 1948, before being promoted to rear admiral. He 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, D.C. as principal military advisor to the Canadian ambassador from 1952 to 1956. 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.

Retirement

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/HMCS_Harry_Dewolf_under_construction_May_2018.jpg" caption="1}}. In 2014, it was announced the class of ships, along with its lead ship, would be named after DeWolf in his honour."] ::

DeWolf and his wife retired to her home in Bermuda, although they spent their summers in Ottawa, his last RCN posting. 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.

On 23 September 1992, the Town of Bedford named a 1.4 hectare waterfront park on the Bedford Basin after DeWolf. The minutes of 28 November 2000 meeting of the Halifax Regional Council reveal that DeWolf had contributed $100,000 to the municipality, presumably as thanks for naming the prominent Admiral Harry DeWolf Park after him.

He died in Ottawa on 18 December 2000 at the age of 97 and was buried at sea from .

On 18 September 2014, it was announced that the planned new class of Canadian warships built specifically for the Arctic, and the lead ship of the class, the , would be named after him.

Awards and decorations

DeWolf's personal awards and decorations include the following: ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Military)_Ribbon.png"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Dso-ribbon.svg" caption="125px]][[File:Ribbon - 1939-45 Star.png"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Ribbon_-Atlantic_Star&_Clasp.png" caption="132px]][[File:War Medal 39-45 w MID BAR.svg"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/UK_Queen_EII_Coronation_Medal_ribbon.svg" caption="127px]][[File:Us legion of merit officer rib.png"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Legion_Honneur_Officier_ribbon.svg" caption="122px]][[File:Haakon VIIs frihetskors stripe.svg"] ::

::data[format=table] | [[File:Haakon VIIs frihetskors stripe.svg|80px]] | King Haakon VII Freedom Cross | | |---|---|---| ::

References

[http://jproc.ca/haida/dewolf.html Vice-Admiral Harry DeWolf: A Canadian Naval Legend]
Goldstein, Richard. (14 January 2001). "Harry DeWolf, Canada War Hero, Dies at 97". The New York Times.
"Halifax Regional Municipality Council Minutes".
(18 September 2014). "PM announces the name of the first of the Royal Canadian Navy's Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships". Prime Minister of Canada.
"Commodore De Wolf has held various administrative appointments, including that of Director of Plans, at Naval Service Headquarters at a time of rapid expansion in the R.C.N. As Commanding Officer of one of HM Canadian Tribal Class Destroyers (HMCS Haida), he served at sea with unparalleled success during the invasion of the Continent. On being re-appointed ashore, he now holds the position of Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, which appointment is being filled with perspicacity and ability."
"For gallantry and distinguished service as Senior Officer of Destroyers in successful destroyer night actions in the English Channel on 26th and 29th April 1944." Details on the action in which HMCS Haida sunk the German Destroyer T-29 north of Brittany on 26 April 1944 can be found in Chapter 39 of the book "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945".
"Page 59 | Supplement 35842, 29 December 1942 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
''"For outstanding zeal, patience and cheerfulness and for never failing to set an example of wholehearted devotion to duty without which the high tradition of the Royal Canadian Navy could not have been upheld. HMCS St. Laurent was the first Canadian warship to engage the enemy in World War II when firing on German troops at St. Valery near Dieppe, France on 9 June 1940".''
''"As Capitain of HMCS St-Laurent "For valuable services in command of HMC Destroyer (HMCS St. Laurent) in the early months of war in Convoy Escort duty in the Western Atlantic, and overseas during the evacuation from France".''
''"As Capitain of HMCS Haida "For bravery, skill and devotion to duty in H.M. Ships Affleck, Balfour, Eskimo, Wanderer and Tavy and H.M. Canadian Ships Haida and Huron in anti U-Boat operations." Details on the action in which HMCS Haida (Tribal Class Destroyer - G63) and HMCS Huron (Tribal Class Destroyer), and sunk the German Destroyer Z-32 in the English Channel on 9 June 1944 can be found in Chapter 42 of the book "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945".''
''"As Capitain of HMCS Haida "For courage and determination in H.M. Ships Albright, Ashanti, Bellona, Diadem, Mauritius, Onslow, Tartar and Ursa and H.M. Canadian Ships Assiniboine, Haida, Iroquois, Qu’appelle, Restigouche and Skeena, in a series of successful attacks on enemy escorted convoys off the coast of France." Details on the action in which HMCS Haida (Tribal Class Destroyer) and HMCS Eskimo (Tribal Class Destroyer) sunk the German Submarine U-971 off the Biscay Coast on 24 June 1944 can be found in Chapter 44 of the book "The Canadian Naval Chronicle 1939-1945".''
''"For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service while serving as Chief Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral G.C. Jones, RCN. He frequently conferred with Commander Task Force Twenty-four and his staff in connection with planning and the operational control of the surface forces under Commander Task Force Twenty-four. His excellent professional grasp of strategic and tactical situations, together with his intelligent and co-operative attitude, contributed materially to the success of operations conducted by Commander Task force Twenty-four."''
''"For services at sea in the war against the enemy."''
''"For services at sea in the war against the enemy."''
''"Bestowed by His Majesty, King Haakon of Norway."''

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