Background
ATKINSON, Robert was born on March 7, 1916 in Tynemouth, Northumberland. Son of Nicholas and Margaret Atkinson.
Businessman chairman navy officer
ATKINSON, Robert was born on March 7, 1916 in Tynemouth, Northumberland. Son of Nicholas and Margaret Atkinson.
He was educated at a grammar school, and then studied engineering at the University of London.
Later, he was a businessman involved in shipbuilding and served as Chairman of British Shipbuilders from 1980 to 1984. lieutenant had been torpedoed and Robert was close enough to his brother"s vessel to hear its distress signal over his ship"s radio but not close enough to reach it before it sank. Following the completion of his university degree, Atkinson joined the Royal Naval Reserve.
He was promoted from acting sub-lieutenant to sub lieutenant on 13 August 1939.
His first command was a requisitioned private yacht, Lorna, which he sailed from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar. From there, he was to conduct irregular operations in the Mediterranean Sea.
One such operation was the seizure of an Italian tanker carrying aviation fuel, which he then sailed back to the United Kingdom. He later described the act, committed against a country that had yet to enter World World War II, as "pure act of piracy". On 23 September 1940, he was promoted to lieutenant and granted seniority in that rank from 1 May 1940.
He was awarded his first Distinguished Service Cross in 1941.
He was the second-in-command of HMS Rhododendron, a Flower-class corvette, and was involved in the dangerous duty of convoy escort. He took command of HMS Pink in 1942 and escorted three crucial convoys, including ONS 5 in spring 1943. He was awarded his second Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during this mission, which included a possible sinking of a U-boat.
He received his third in 1945 for sinking U878 in HMS Tintagel Castle.
Following the war, he studied engineering at London University and McGill University, Montreal. Returning to the United Kingdom, he entered business and held managerial positions at William Doxford, Tube Investments, Unicorn Industries and Aurora Steel.
In 1980 he was appointed Chairman of British Shipbuilders. He retired from that position in 1984.
Married 1st Joyce Forster in 1941 (died in 1973), one son one daughter. Married 2nd Margaret Hazel Walker in 1977.