Sir Anthony Cecil Capel Miers

He held his submarine in a defended harbour to attack ships.

On 4 March 1942, Commander Anthony Cecil Capel Miers took HMS Torbay into the defended harbour at Corfu. He remained in closely patrolled waters for seventeen hours, charging batteries on the surface under enemy guns and waiting until daylight to attack shipping. After firing his torpedoes, he withdrew through a narrow channel while anti-submarine craft and aircraft searched for him. His daring operation earned the Victoria Cross, announced on 7 July 1942.

Born on 11 November 1906 in Inverness, Miers entered the Royal Navy in 1924 and joined the submarine service in 1929. His first submarine command was L54 in 1936. He took command of Torbay in November 1940 and received the Distinguished Service Order and a Bar for wartime patrols. His record also included a controversial incident in July 1941, when he ordered fire on German soldiers escaping from a vessel in a rubber raft.

In 1943 he served as a submarine liaison officer in the Pacific and accompanied USS Cabrilla on a war patrol. He subsequently commanded the 8th Submarine Flotilla. He married Patricia Millar in 1945; they had two children. Promoted to captain in 1946, he later commanded HMS Blackcap, HMS Forth and the 1st Submarine Flotilla, the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, and HMS Theseus. He became Rear-Admiral and Flag Officer, Middle East, in 1956. Appointed CB in 1958 and KBE in 1959, he retired in 1959. In retirement he supported naval sporting associations and became president of the Submarine Old Comrades Association in 1967. He died on 30 June 1985 and was buried in Tomnahurich Cemetery, Inverness.

Official Victoria Cross citation, London Gazette, 7 July 1942:

For valour in command of H.M. Submarine Torbay in a daring and successful raid on shipping in a defended enemy harbour, planned with full knowledge of the great hazards to be expected during seventeen hours in waters closely patrolled by the enemy. On arriving in the harbour he had to charge his batteries lying on the surface in full moonlight, under the guns of the enemy. As he could not see his target he waited several hours and attacked in full daylight in a glassy calm. When he had fired his torpedoes he was heavily counter-attacked and had to withdraw through a long channel with anti-submarine craft all round and continuous air patrols overhead.