Sir Bertram Home Ramsay

Sir Bertram Home Ramsay 1883-1945, British admiral. A career naval officer who retired in 1938, he returned to the service in World War II to command British and Allied naval units in some of the most spectacular operations of the war. He directed the evacuation of Dunkirk (1940), led the Allied fleets in the invasions of Africa (1942), Sicily, and Italy, and commanded, under General Eisenhower, the naval operations in the invasion of France in 1944. He was killed in a plane crash.

Ramsay, Admiral Sir Bertram (1883–1945),British naval officer who commanded Operation DYNAMO, which evacuated the British Army from Dunkirk and who served as Allied naval C-in-C for the Normandy landings in June 1944 (see OVERLORD).

During the First World War Ramsay served with the Grand Fleet and the Dover Patrol before retiring in 1938 with the rank of vice-admiral. In August 1939 he was recalled to become Vice-Admiral Dover, and was knighted on the successful completion of DYNAMO.

In April 1942, Ramsay was appointed naval C-in-C for the invasion of Europe due later that year. When it was subsequently decided to invade North Africa instead (see North African campaign) objections were raised to an acting admiral on the retired list commanding such a large operation. This led to Admiral Cunningham's being given command with Ramsay as his deputy, and he subsequently served under Cunningham as commander of the Eastern Task Force during the Sicilian campaign landings in July 1943. In December 1943 Ramsay returned to London to start planning NEPTUNE, the assault phase of OVERLORD, and in April 1944 he was restored to the active list with the rank of admiral. The planning and execution of NEPTUNE were superbly handled by him, as was the subsequent build-up of troops and supplies. On 2 January 1945 he was killed in an air crash. He was a tough, modest man, an ideal staff officer, and much admired by all his colleagues.