Roger P. Hill

Roger Hill, who died in New Zealand aged 91, is survived by his second wife Jonquil and their two daughters, and by a daughter and son (a second died in an accident when Chief Officer of a merchant ship and a third in more recent years) from his first marriage. His ashes were scattered over Grand Harbour in 2002.

In 1965, after his first marriage ended, Hill and his second wife emigrated to New Zealand. Initially, he worked as a dock labourer, while he was writing his wartime memoirs, Destroyer Captain. Afterwards, Hill taught navigation at Nelson Technical College, and farmed outside Nelson. Hill built a house, which he called "Jervis" and was a member of the Nelson Harbour Board. Latterly, he lived at Arrowtown, Central Otago.

Afterwards the Grenville took part in Operation Tunnel, (see Battle off Sept-Îles) with night sweeps to sink Axis shipping trying to reach Biscay ports. The Grenville was present when the cruiser HMS Charybdis was sunk, leaving Hill as Senior Officer to deal with the aftermath and to give evidence in a subsequent Board of Enquiry. Immediately after this action, the Grenville was ordered to the Mediterranean, where she was one of the supporting ships off the Anzio beachhead. Hill was transferred to the command of the destroyer HMS Jervis, which was repaired after having her bows blown off by a guided bomb, in which he supported the Normandy landings in June 1944. By September 1944, Jervis's engines were heavily worn, and the destroyer took a long refit in Belfast. Hill was Mentioned in Despatches for his part in the Normandy landings. Hill was then sent to command an Air Station. Then, as a passenger in an ambulance, Hill sustained head injuries which led to his being invalided out of the service. He was placed on the retired list on 30 July 1946.

In 1943, Hill received the command of the destroyer HMS Grenville. On the way from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, the Grenville was engaged in a successful U-boat hunt in the Bay of Biscay. For this action, Hill was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Hill was educated at Pangbourne College, before joining the Royal Navy in 1927. Between 1 September 1928 and October 1930, he served aboard the battlecruiser HMS Renown, with the Atlantic Fleet. Hill was confirmed as a sub-lieutenant on 16 July 1931, and then took a promotion course at Portsmouth between August 1931 and January 1932, serving in the Mediterranean aboard the battleship HMS Resolution up to June 1933. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 December 1933. He served aboard the cruiser HMS Caradoc in China from 1933 to 1934. Hill was aboard the destroyer HMS Electra (part of the Home Fleet) from 1935 to 1937. He served again aboard HMS Hood between August 1937 and February 1938, later serving in the Mediterranean aboard the cruiser HMS Penelope. After serving for the eight months ending March 1940 aboard the minesweeping trawler HMS Tamora, Hill served as first lieutenant aboard the sloop HMS Enchantress. Having been stationed for three months on the mainly administrative Combined Operations Centre HMS Quebec II in Largs, Scotland, he was appointed as commander of HMS Ledbury on 30 December 1941.

Lieutenant Commander Roger Percival Hill, DSO, DSC, (22 June 1910 – 5 May 2001) was a commander in many famous destroyers of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Hill served in crucial theatres of the war, being present in the Arctic convoys, the Mediterranean Campaign and Malta Convoys, as well as playing a supporting role aboard HMS Jervis during the Normandy landings.