Norman Douglas Holbrook

He took his submarine beneath the mines to strike the enemy.

Norman Douglas Holbrook was born at Southsea on 9 July 1888. He entered naval training in 1903 and qualified for submarines in 1910, taking command of B11 in 1913.

On 13 December 1914 he navigated B11 through the Dardanelles minefields and torpedoed the Ottoman battleship Mesudiye. Despite strong currents, enemy fire and pursuit, he brought his submarine safely out. The operation earned the Victoria Cross.

He later commanded other submarines, served in northern Russian waters and retired in 1920. Promoted commander on the retired list in 1928, he returned during the Second World War to Admiralty duties interviewing survivors of merchant ships lost at sea. He married twice, chaired the family printing business and farmed at Stedham in Sussex. He died there on 3 July 1976 and was buried at Midhurst. The Australian town renamed Holbrook in 1915 maintained a lasting connection with him.

Official Victoria Cross citation

For most conspicuous bravery on the 13th December, when in command of the Submarine B. 11, he entered the Dardanelles, and, notwithstanding the very difficult current, dived his vessel under five rows of mines and torpedoed the Turkish battleship “Messudiyeh”, which was guarding the mine-field. Lieutenant Holbrook succeeded in bringing the B. 11 safely back, although assailed by gun-fire and torpedo boats, having been submerged on one occasion for nine hours.

The London Gazette of 22 December 1914, Numb. 29015, p. 10920