Robert Ryder

He led a daring naval raid into a strongly defended harbour.

Robert Edward Dudley Ryder was born in India on 16 February 1908 and entered the Royal Navy in 1926. A skilled sailor and navigator, he served in submarines, sailed the yacht Tai-Mo-Shan from Hong Kong to Britain and commanded the schooner Penola during the British Graham Land Expedition to Antarctica.

During the Second World War he survived the loss of the Q-ship HMS Edgehill. On 28 March 1942, as a commander, he led the naval force in Operation Chariot against Saint-Nazaire. The raid aimed to destroy the Normandie dry dock and deny it to major German warships. Ryder remained in the harbour under intense fire, directing the operation and attempts to recover the raiders. His leadership earned the Victoria Cross.

He continued naval service, took part in the Dieppe operation and later became naval attaché in Norway. He reached captain before leaving the navy. Elected MP for Merton and Morden in 1950, he served until 1955. Ryder continued sailing in retirement and died during a voyage in June 1986.

Victoria Cross citation

For great gallantry in the attack on St. Nazaire. He commanded a force of small unprotected ships in an attack on a heavily defended port and led H.M.S. Campbeltown in under intense fire from short range weapons at point blank range. Though the main object of the expedition had been accomplished in the beaching of Campbeltown, he remained on the spot conducting operations, evacuating men from Campbeltown and dealing with strong points and close range weapons while exposed to heavy fire for one hour and sixteen minutes, and did not withdraw till it was certain that his ship could be of no use in rescuing any of the Commando Troops who were still ashore. That his Motor Gun Boat, now full of dead and wounded, should have survived and should have been able to withdraw through an intense barrage of close range fire was almost a miracle.