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in Italy. Despite blindness in one eye, McGeoch nevertheless made several escape attempts. After the surrender of
Fascist Italy in September 1943, he was able to walk out of the camp gate and travelled 400 miles (600 km) to
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before he saw active service. The course, still run, is known as the "perisher" due to its high failure rate, and that failure means an end to a career on submarines. He passed and was returned to the
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on one patrol, but was not confident in his own abilities, so, unusually, elected to return to
England to take the "perisher" a second time. He passed again, and took command of the new
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were picked up; 18 men were lost with the ship. McGeoch suffered a wound to his right eye, and never recovered its sight.
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After helping to repatriate
British prisoners of war, he returned to the United Kingdom in 1946 to take command of the
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broke out, returning to
England in January 1940. He then served as 1st lieutenant (second-in-command) of the old
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sank more tonnage on its six patrols than any other submarine. Lieutenant McGeoch was awarded the
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left Malta for the last time on 17 April 1943. Her sixth patrol would take her to the waters off
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in 1944. Promoted to lieutenant commander, he became Staff
Officer (Operations) for the
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from 1972 to 1980. He worked with other senior officers, including
General Sir
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on Malta as a "spare" commanding officer, to cover for illness or injury.
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He died on 12 August 2007 and was survived by his wife and children.
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770:(FOSM) from May 1965 to December 1967. During his time in this post,
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340:. He volunteered to serve on submarines, and attended the course at
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to the surface, where McGeoch ordered the crew to abandon ship and
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846:(1978 and 1982). He published a memoir of his wartime service,
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He married
Eleanor Somers Farrie in 1937, the daughter of the
781:(and the first all-British) - was launched, as was the first
388:. He was appointed as second-in-command of the new submarine
810:
in 1966 and advanced to KCB in 1969. He retired in 1970.
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Admiral presidents of the Royal Naval
College, Greenwich
460:
landings to the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa),
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on 30 June 1955, he served as naval liaison officer to
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An Affair of
Chances: a Submariner's Odyssey, 1939-44
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McGeoch and the other survivors from her crew became
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the vessel. Five officers, including McGeoch, and 25
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on 13 January 1942. He and his brand new ship (named
219:
An Affair of Chances: a Submariner's Odyssey, 1939-44
656:, but British diplomats arranged for his release to
826:in 1975 after the direction of historian Professor
660:, and he returned to England on the old battleship
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1049:, University of Edinburgh (MPhil), archived from
573:also torpedoed and damaged the Italian destroyer
496:, the Italian auxiliary minesweeper No. 107 /
1254:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
8:
762:in 1964, he became Admiral President of the
476:sank the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser
1284:World War II prisoners of war held by Italy
1191:Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
347:in 1936. Promoted to lieutenant, he joined
1264:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
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804:Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland
620:was spotted in the calm conditions in the
472:after his fifth. Under McGeoch's command,
284:Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland
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1137:President, Royal Naval College, Greenwich
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674:Returning to duty, McGeoch attended the
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896:. They had two daughters and two sons.
624:. Three accurately-dropped patterns of
395:in July 1940, but was selected for the
252:(26 March 1914 – 12 August 2007) was a
977:Obituary: Vice-Admiral Sir Ian McGeoch
519:, escorting the German transport ship
397:Commanding Officers' Qualifying Course
384:, engaged in landing secret agents on
1279:British World War II prisoners of war
1234:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
1040:Vice-Admiral Sir Ian McGeoch (1975),
875:Honourable Company of Master Mariners
856:Earl Mountbatten, The Princely Sailor
843:The Third World War: The Untold Story
302:. A burly figure, he was educated at
223:Earl Mountbatten, The Princely Sailor
7:
1001:Submarine losses 1904 to present day
732:in 1955 and 1956, and commanded the
712:in 1947, he worked in operations in
456:From November 1942 to May 1943 (the
1249:Royal Navy officers of World War II
744:for two years, then studied at the
595:on 21 April 1943, she ran into the
818:He studied social sciences at the
748:in 1961. He commanded the cruiser
14:
569:) was missed in the same attack.
468:after his fourth patrol, and the
738:Director of Undersurface Warfare
87:
69:
1244:Royal Navy submarine commanders
539:also sank the Italian merchant
358:, as navigator and third hand.
1010:, RN Submarine Museum, Gosport
850:in 1991, and his biography of
764:Royal Naval College, Greenwich
238:Sir Ian Lachlan Mackay McGeoch
227:Queen’s Bodyguard for Scotland
150:Royal Naval College, Greenwich
1:
1114:Imperial War Museum Interview
1029:. 19 July 1955. p. 4172.
867:Royal Institute of Navigation
492:, the small Italian merchant
431:January 1943) were posted to
366:McGeoch was serving with HMS
736:in 1957 and 1958. He became
602:(formerly the British-built
298:, on the north shore of the
47:Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire
1043:The British Polaris Project
822:from 1970, and received an
786:ballistic missile submarine
304:Pangbourne Nautical College
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881:. He was a trustee of the
806:(FOSNI). He was appointed
777:- the Royal Navy's second
439:, and then back to Malta.
26:Ian Lachlan Mackay McGeoch
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979:The Times, 20 August 2007
858:, was published in 1996.
852:Earl Mountbatten of Burma
500:, and the Italian tanker
175:Prisoner of war (escaped)
31:
1239:Royal Navy vice admirals
863:Royal Company of Archers
779:nuclear attack submarine
746:Imperial Defence College
480:, the Italian merchants
406:McGeoch took command of
1229:People from Helensburgh
1164:Flag Officer Submarines
861:He was a member of the
820:University of Edinburgh
768:Flag Officer Submarines
724:from 1949. Promoted to
667:. His escape won him a
512:Soldati-class destroyer
401:10th Submarine Flotilla
280:Flag Officer Submarines
734:3rd Submarine Squadron
718:4th Submarine Squadron
561:. The German merchant
510:also sank the Italian
453:
146:3rd Submarine Squadron
142:4th Submarine Squadron
1006:8 August 2007 at the
690:on 2 September 1945.
686:in the run up to the
684:British Pacific Fleet
669:mention in dispatches
604:Greek destroyer
523:with her sister ship
445:
192:Mention in dispatches
180:British Pacific Fleet
99:Years of service
1201:David Dunbar-Nasmith
879:Royal Yacht Squadron
766:. He then served as
700:Hunt-class destroyer
680:4th Cruiser Squadron
294:McGeoch was born in
254:commissioned officer
1174:Sir Michael Pollock
1130:Morgan Morgan-Giles
1089:The Daily Telegraph
883:Imperial War Museum
802:in 1967, he became
755:from 1962 to 1964.
730:RAF Coastal Command
565:(the former French
420:, just launched at
264:. He commanded the
1026:The London Gazette
871:Nautical Institute
688:surrender of Japan
676:Naval Staff Course
535:, but missed her.
454:
1207:
1206:
1198:Succeeded by
1171:Succeeded by
1144:Succeeded by
1122:Military offices
1109:, 26 October 2007
1056:on 17 August 2010
606:Vasilefs Georgios
597:German destroyer
415:S-class submarine
376:H-class submarine
232:
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1195:1968–1970
1181:Preceded by
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1127:Preceded by
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435:to take part in
422:Chatham Dockyard
372:Second World War
362:Second World War
278:, and was later
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225:, member of the
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437:Operation Torch
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708:. Promoted to
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622:Tyrrhenian Sea
531:also attacked
482:Luigi Favorita
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320:, then on the
300:Firth of Clyde
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1107:The Guardian
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1097:
1088:
1079:
1058:, retrieved
1051:the original
1042:
1035:
1024:
1015:
996:
989:HMS Splendid
984:
898:
887:
860:
855:
847:
841:
838:John Hackett
833:Naval Review
831:
817:
800:vice-admiral
798:Promoted to
797:
791:
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760:rear-admiral
758:Promoted to
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217:, Author of
215:Naval Review
213:, Editor of
160:World War II
156:Battles/wars
136:
129:
122:
111:Vice-admiral
58:(2007-08-12)
15:
1224:2007 deaths
1219:1914 births
1021:"No. 40540"
991:, Uboat.net
854:, entitled
650:Switzerland
354:, based in
296:Helensburgh
282:(FOSM) and
274:during the
1213:Categories
1168:1965–1967
1157:Horace Law
1105:Obituary,
1096:Obituary,
1087:Obituary,
1078:Obituary,
903:References
877:, and the
814:Later life
792:Resolution
490:XXI Aprile
337:Devonshire
312:battleship
308:midshipman
290:Early life
258:Royal Navy
93:Royal Navy
65:Allegiance
1080:The Times
892:vicar of
790:HMS
772:HMS
750:HMS
710:commander
703:HMS
664:Centurion
662:HMS
658:Gibraltar
618:periscope
498:Cleopatra
494:Commercio
478:San Paolo
447:HMS
433:Gibraltar
426:HMS
408:HMS
390:HMS
379:HMS
370:when the
322:destroyer
317:Royal Oak
286:(FOSNI).
266:submarine
102:1931–1970
1004:Archived
890:Anglican
654:Figueres
634:scuttled
630:Splendid
611:Splendid
581:Splendid
571:Splendid
537:Splendid
529:Splendid
508:Splendid
474:Splendid
462:Splendid
449:Splendid
428:Splendid
386:Guernsey
327:Boadicea
271:Splendid
130:Splendid
117:Commands
82:Service/
1060:30 July
783:Polaris
774:Valiant
726:captain
682:in the
638:ratings
628:forced
589:Corsica
552:Uragano
502:Giorgio
392:Triumph
344:Dolphin
310:on the
260:of the
256:in the
894:Sliema
873:, the
869:, the
722:Sydney
705:Fernie
599:Hermes
591:. Off
585:Naples
575:Velite
567:Astrée
563:Sienna
546:Groppo
533:Ankara
521:Ankara
516:Aviere
488:, and
486:Devoli
410:Ursula
188:Awards
137:Fernie
123:Ursula
84:branch
1054:(PDF)
1047:(PDF)
840:, on
824:MPhil
614:'
593:Capri
368:Clyde
356:Malta
351:Clyde
211:MPhil
1062:2008
752:Lion
587:and
558:Clio
555:and
541:Emma
418:P228
349:HMS
342:HMS
335:HMS
325:HMS
315:HMS
269:HMS
221:and
135:HMS
128:HMS
121:HMS
107:Rank
53:Died
41:Born
740:in
720:in
609:).
470:DSC
466:DSO
381:H43
250:DSC
246:DSO
242:KCB
198:DSC
195:DSO
22:Sir
1215::
1023:.
911:^
885:.
808:CB
795:.
788:,
671:.
616:s
577:.
549:,
527:-
504:.
484:,
248:,
244:,
240:,
201:CB
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