Robin Hoare

Robin Hoare was born the son of Charles Arthur Richard Hoare, Senior Partner of C. Hoare & Co, bankers, and Beatrice Holme Sumner on 26 September 1890. The family lived on the Isle of Wight but in 1892 moved to Hamble in Hampshire. He was educated at Northwood Park School on the Isle of Wight and Loretto School near Edinburgh. In his youth, he was a regular visitor to the Training Ship Mercury which from 1908 was managed by his mother and his stepfather, C. B. Fry. ==First World War==

Hoare's first military experience came when he was commissioned into the 1st Hampshire Royal Garrison Artillery, Volunteer Force, as a second lieutenant on 6 December 1902; he later transferred to the Lancashire Royal Garrison Artillery. He then emigrated to New Zealand where he stayed for several years before working his passage home via Valparaíso where he collected some polo ponies for delivery to the United Kingdom. He transferred to the Auxiliary Patrol on 27 November 1914, and was promoted lieutenant on 7 October 1915. In 1917 and early 1918 he made several applications for transfer to the submarine service or to larger craft: these were all refused. On 12 April 1918, the engine room of HM Motor Launch 356 exploded at Dunkirk quay, after a collision with another vessel, and the forward petrol tanks burst into flames. Several of the launch's crew were blown overboard by the explosion, while the remainder were driven off by the fire. Flames soon began to issue forth from the cabin, and burning petrol spread on the surface of the water. As others proceeded to flee the scene, Hoare, along with Lieutenant Arthur Bagot, realised the fire was threatening the aft petrol tanks and the depth charges located on board the launch. Jumping in a dinghy, the pair rowed out towards the blaze. On reaching the wreck, Hoare and Bagot removed the depth charges despite the flames; thus preventing any further explosion. His acting rank was also confirmed as a further reward for his success in this operation. for which he received a Mention in Despatches and a Bar to his DSO on 28 August. He was given his AM and the Bar to his DSO in a further investiture soon after. and on 8 March 1919. Hoare was demobilised on 24 September 1919. ==Later life==

After the War, Hoare became the manager of a fleet of fishing trawlers owned by Sam Robford & Co, a business based in Aberdeen. In 1926, Robin Hoare, in partnership with lieutenant commanders Sydney Allen and Lionell Chappell, took an interest in the Honister Slate Mine in Borrowdale, Cumbria: Hoare became the resident director while his colleagues became sleeping partners. At the start of the Second World War, Hoare returned the Royal Navy, seeing action on armed trawlers with Dover Command from May 1940 and then joining Combined Operations to undertake landing craft duties in preparation for the Normandy landings from August 1943 before serving as commanding officer, HM Naval Base Haifa from January 1945. Hoare returned to Honister Slate Mine in 1945. ==Family==

In 1919 he married Brenda Bardsley and together they had a son and three daughters. From around 1930 they lived at Portinscale near Keswick in Cumbia. ==References==