Geoffrey John Kirkby
| Geoffrey John Kirkby | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 August 1918 Swaffham, Norfolk |
| Died | 24 October 1998 (aged 80) Lewes, Sussex |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy
|
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit |
HMS Kingston HMS Melbreak |
| Commands held | HMS Diana |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Cross & Two Bars Mentioned in Despatches |
Captain Geoffrey John Kirkby CBE, DSC & Two Bars (26 August 1918 – 24 October 1998) was an officer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, serving mainly at sea in small ships.
Kirkby was born on 26 August 1918. He was educated at Taunton School, an independent school in Taunton, Somerset.
Aged 21, Kirkby was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for boarding the sinking Italian Navy submarine Torricelli and capturing the vessel's signal books. Kirkby was serving on board HMS Kingston at the time.
Kirkby, while still serving on board Kingston, took part in the Second Battle of Sirte, where Rear-Admiral Vian defended a Malta convoy against a far superior Italian force.
Kingston took part in a torpedo raid, for which the ship had to close within three miles of the Italian heavy units, and which led to the award of Kirkby's second DSC.
Kirkby was now on board HMS Melbreak which, for the Normandy landings, acted as a marker for US Forces landing at Omaha Beach.
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Wikipedia