Harry Charles Birnie
| Harry Charles Birnie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1 October 1882 New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire |
| Died | 9 March 1943 (aged 60) North Atlantic |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Naval Reserve |
| Years of service | 1904–1919 1940–1943 |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order |
| Other work | Sea captain |
Captain Harry Charles Birnie, DSO RD (1 October 1882 – 9 March 1943) was a Scottish sea captain and naval officer. His peace-time seafaring career was spent with the Cunard Line. He also served in the Royal Navy in both World Wars, being killed in action while in command of a merchant convoy in the North Atlantic in 1943.
Birnie was the son of Reverend C. Birnie, , and Katherine Birnie, of New Aberdour, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Birnie served as a junior officer on Campania, under Sir Arthur Henry Rostron. On 26 April 1907, Rostron and Birnie are said to have observed a sea monster. Rostron wrote about the episode in his autobiography, while Birnie confirmed the account several years later.
During the inter-war years, Birnie returned to the Cunard Line, eventually reaching the rank of captain at a young age. He made numerous Atlantic crossings in command of the Mauretania, Berengaria and Aquitania.
While employed by the Cunard Line, Birnie was also a member of the Royal Naval Reserve, having been commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1904, and promoted to lieutenant on 12 December 1907.
During World War I, Birnie served in the Royal Navy, commanding HM Torpedo Boat 82 in 1915, and the destroyer Fairy in the North Sea in 1916–1917.
On 18 November 1917, while in command of the patrol boat HMS P-57, Lieutenant-Commander Birnie sank a German submarine, UC-47, off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, initially by ramming it at near full-speed, then dropping depth charges. He received the Distinguished Service Order for this exploit in February 1918, while the Admiralty awarded a "kill" bonus of £1,000 to be shared by the crew of HMS P-57.
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