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{{For|other people with the same name|Benjamin Bryant (disambiguation){{!}}Benjamin Bryant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]]
| name = Benjamin Bryant
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|DSO2|DSC}}
| image = Rn bryant benjamin.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Rear Admiral Benjamin Bryant, 1957
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1905|9|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Madras]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|11|23|1905|9|16|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Worthing]], [[West Sussex]], England
| burial_place =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = [[Royal Navy]]
| service_years = 1919–1957
| rank = [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]]
| service_number =
| unit =
| commands = {{HMS|Glasgow|C21|6}} (1953–54) [[HMNB Devonport]] (1951–53) {{nowrap|[[Royal Navy Submarine School]] (1947–49)}} {{HMS|Adamant|A164|6}} (1945–47) {{HMS|Forth|A187|6}} (1945) {{HMS|Cyclops|F31|6}} (1944–45) {{HMS|Montclare|F85|6}} (1944) {{HMS|Safari|P211|6}} (1941–43) {{HMS|Sealion|72S|6}} (1938–41)
| battles = [[Second World War]]
* [[Norwegian Campaign]]
* [[Battle of the Atlantic]]
| awards = [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Distinguished Service Order]] & [[Medal bar|Two Bars]] [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] [[Mentioned in Despatches]]
| relations =
| other_work =
}}
[[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] '''Benjamin Bryant''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|DSO2|DSC}} (16 September 1905 – 23 November 1994) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer noted for his submarine exploits during the [[Second World War]]. In terms of ships sunk, Bryant was the most successful British submarine commander to survive the war.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uboat.net/allies/commanders/387.html |title=U-Boat net Commanders|publisher=Uboat.net|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> He was appointed [[Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel, (Training)]] from July 1954 to February 1957.

==Early life==
Bryant was born in [[Madras]], [[British India]], then the winter capital of the [[Madras Presidency]]; his father, John Forbes Bryant, was a member of the [[Indian Civil Service]]. His mother was Mary Ada (née Genge). He had an elder brother Joseph and elder sister May. Bryant returned from India as a boy and attended [[Oundle School]] and then the [[Royal Naval College, Osborne]] and [[Royal Naval College, Dartmouth]].

Bryant published a book, ''One Man Band: The Memoirs of a Submarine C.O.'',<ref>{{Cite book|title=Submarine Commander|last=Bryant|first=Ben|publisher=Bantam Books|year=1980|location=New York|publication-date=1958}}</ref> in 1958 about his experience up to and including the Second World War.

==Second World War==
As a [[lieutenant commander]], Bryant served aboard {{HMS|Sealion|72S|6}} from 3 September 1938 to 12 October 1941. He then commanded {{HMS|Safari|P211|6}} from 14 October 1941 to 27 April 1943,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-12SS-06S-Safari.htm|title=HMS SAFARI (P 211 – ex-P 61) – S-class Submarine|publisher=naval-history.net|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Montclare|F85|6}} from 16 June 1944 to 10 October 1944, and the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Cyclops|F31|6}} from 30 October 1944 to 4 February 1945. Following promotion to [[Captain (naval)|captain]], he commanded the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Forth|A187|6}} from 5 February to 11 May 1945, which was followed by command of {{HMS|Adamant|A164|6}} from 26 June 1945 to 4 June 1947.

For his services during the Second World War, Bryant was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] on 9 May 1940,<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/34845/supplements/2786/page.pdf|format=PDF |newspaper=[[The London Gazette]] |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|His Majesty's Stationery Office]] |issue=34845|date=9 May 1940|page=2786|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> [[Mentioned in Despatches]] on 12 May 1942, and awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO) on 23 March 1943,<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35950/supplements/1369/page.pdf|format=PDF |newspaper=[[The London Gazette]] |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|His Majesty's Stationery Office]]|issue=35950|date=23 March 1943|page=1369|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> which was followed by two [[Medal bar|Bars]] to the DSO on 11 May and 6 July the same year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36081/pages/3055/page.pdf|format=PDF |newspaper=[[The London Gazette]] |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|His Majesty's Stationery Office]]|issue=36081|date=6 July 1943|page=3055|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref> He was later appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=Supplement to the London Gazette |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/40787/supplements/3101/page.pdf|format=PDF |newspaper=[[The London Gazette]] |publisher=[[Office of Public Sector Information|His Majesty's Stationery Office]]|issue=40787|date=31 May 1956|page=3101|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/captain-benjamin-bryant-rn-dso-and-two-bars-107872 Portrait of Bryant by] [[Robert Sivell]]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Benjamin}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Chennai]]
[[Category:People educated at Oundle School]]
[[Category:People educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne]]
[[Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College]]
[[Category:Royal Navy officers of World War II]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]

Benjamin Bryant Royal Navy officer - Revision history

Davidwez at 22:14, 3 May 2026