Captain Robert Franks RIP

Kyt · Mar 17, 2008

Captain Robert Franks obituary - Times Online

Within a week of Kuwait’s becoming a fully sovereign state in June 1961 Iraq’s ruler, General Kassim, made his country’s first claim to the territory. Robert Franks, in his last appointment in the Royal Navy, was the first captain of the carrier Bulwark in its innovative commando role, a concept born of the successful use of helicopters during the Suez invasion. He recorded: “We were at Karachi refuelling when the first rumblings occurred, so cleared port in a hurry and steamed for Kuwait at high speed.”

The day after the Sheikh of Kuwait appealed to Britain, Franks was able to land the Royal Marines of 42 Commando in the middle of a sand storm, using his 16 helicopters to establish an immediate British presence well forward on the Kuwait border. Reinforcements with heavy equipment from Bulwark and the amphibious forces followed and, despite a delay caused by denial of overflying rights by Turkey and Egypt, further army formations arrived on the scene, the naval presence enhanced by destroyers, frigates, logistic ships and the large carrier Victorious’s powerful air group.

As a result, Iraq did not attack Kuwait, which was soon accepted as a full member of the Arab League. This highly successful exercise in sea power was a fitting end to a gallant and eventful naval career which had begun at Dartmouth naval college in 1926 where Franks’s games-playing ability was given full rein.

After training in the cruiser Shropshire, Franks served in several destroyers in the Mediterranean and on the China station, a happy era in the evening of Empire for a keen sports-playing young bachelor. As second-in-command of the destroyer Gipsy he took part in operations in support of the Palestine mandate and the rescue of refugees from the Spanish Civil War. His admired captain was Richard Onslow, soon to win four DSOs as a famous destroyer commander of the Second World War. Franks later wrote a privately published book about the naval Onslow family.

At the outbreak of war Gipsy was based at Harwich on convoy duty when she was blown in half by a mine which killed 30 sailors, her captain later dying of wounds. Franks was on the bridge and was blown over on to the forward gun deck. Although badly bruised and cut he was afterwards appointed OBE for his initiative and resource during the rescue.

On sick leave he became engaged to Private Jane Tozer of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), thinking that marriage had best be left until after the war. He was persuaded otherwise and was granted 14 days leave to get married before being appointed captain of the destroyer Scimitar, a ship that he had previously served in but which was now being up-gunned and rebuilt.

Scimitar escorted the British Expeditionary Force to France and during the subsequent retreat made six perilous crossings to Dunkirk, rescuing about 3,000 soldiers. Franks was awarded his first mention in dispatches.

He spent the next two years in the Battle of the Atlantic based mainly at Londonderry and briefly in Iceland. Scimitar escorted 63 convoys and many single ships, assisting in the sinking of four U-boats.

In the autumn of 1942 he found to his chagrin that his appointment to command the destroyer Hotspur in the Indian Ocean area had fallen through and he was instructed to report to the Combined Operations staff at Delhi, where he was appointed naval adviser and told to take charge of the move of 40 landing craft from Bombay to Burma: “the most exciting and worthwhile period of my naval career”.

Having worked himself into the command of this diverse number of craft and men, Franks was tasked to co-operate with the Army in the capture of Akyab, a small island at the mouth of the Mayu river about half way between Chittagong and Rangoon. Although the assault plan was finally shelved, Franks earned praise for his personal leadership of noisy night-time battles at Angumaw and Htizwe up the Mayu river. Using much initiative, his motor launches and landing craft fought a series of engagements against Japanese river craft and supply lines, and Franks was awarded the DSO.

On the way to Cairo where he was to take command of the destroyer Paladin, he began to feel very ill with jungle sores and blood poisoning, his life being saved by an army doctor in Malta. Too ill to take up his command, he was invalided home, arriving in August 1943.

Having recovered, his desire to command a fleet destroyer was again frustrated by appointment as staff operations officer (SOO) to “Force S” which turned out to be one of the main components of the British D-Day assault on Normandy. After months of planning and the mustering of sufficient landing craft, the staff embarked in the headquarters ship Largs for the invasion and oversaw operations on Sword beach.

Going ashore, Franks remarked that “after two days my first view of the beaches was horrifying — still many bodies about and everyone seemed to be tired, dirty and more or less frightened”. German shelling of the beachhead continued until the end of June, Franks being appointed as SOO to the British naval headquarters at Courseuilles and then at Rouen.

He was court-martialled but acquitted as a consequence of a tragic “blue-on-blue” attack by RAF rocket-firing Typhoons in the bay of Le Havre on a force of Royal Navy minesweepers, two being sunk and one damaged with the loss of 100 lives. For his outstanding service he was again mentioned in dispatches.

As naval liaison officer with the Canadian army headquarters he became known as their “one-man navy” and took an active part navigating the amphibious operations around Breskens, South Beveland and Walcheren against stiff German resistance, opening the route to Antwerp. For this he was awarded the DSC.

In command of the destroyer Obdurate, Franks took part in the final Russian convoy of the war. He was promoted to commander in December 1946 and took command of the new destroyer St James in time to escort the royal family in the battleship Vanguard at the start of their voyage to South Africa.

After staff courses Franks commanded the destroyer Vigo in the Mediterranean, followed by a tour in the Admiralty, promotion to captain and a post at the Admiralty Interview Board which selects aspirant naval officers. This was followed by an important tour as commodore of the Amphibious Warfare Squadron where his main task was to prepare for the Suez invasion, which “hung fire” so that he was superseded just before it took place.

His energetic command of the boys’ training establishment HMS Ganges near Ipswich from 1957 to 1959 earned a fine tribute to the affection inspired by his leadership — four old “boys” from the Plymouth Ganges association, although in their sixties, used to come and help dig his garden.

On retirement in 1961 he was advanced to CBE. He was employed for ten years as an Admiralty approved master, conducting contractor’s sea trials of numerous warships including the County class guided missile ships. A member of the Royal Cruising Club, he sailed his Morgan Giles 38ft yacht Matawa around the West Indies and Mediterranean. He supported many organisations at Dartmouth where he lived for 54 years.

His wife Jane predeceased him, and he is survived by three sons, one of whom followed him into the Navy.

Captain Robert Franks, CBE, DSO, DSC, destroyer and aircraft carrier captain, was born on May 21, 1912. He died on March 5, 2007, aged 95
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Kyt · Mar 17, 2008

Officers of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order (OBE) 8th March, 1940
Lieutenant Robert Denys Franks, Royal Navy; H.M.S. Gipsy.
For outstanding initiative and resource on the occasion of the loss of his ship.

Mentioned in Despatches 16th August, 1940
Lieutenant Robert Denys Franks, O.B.E., Royal Navy, H.M.S. Scimitar

Distinguished Service Order 6 August 1943
Lieutenant-Commander Robert Denys Franks, O.B.E., Royal Navy.
For courage, leadership and resource in operations against the enemy in Burma

Mentioned in Despatches 14 November 1944
Lieutenant-Commander Robert Denys Franks, D.S.O., O.B.E., Royal Navy (Stow-in-the-
Wold).

The Distinguished Service Cross. 20 February 1945
Lieutenant-Commander Robert Denys Franks, D.S.O., O.B.E., Royal Navy.
For courage, enterprise and skill in operations which led to the clearance of the Scheldt Estuary

Antipodean Andy · Mar 17, 2008

What a career! RIP.

I wonder if there's any relation to Norman Franks?

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Captain Robert Franks RIP

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