Lieutenant Commander Harry Kime

Richard ‘Harry’ Kime was born in Bushey Hertfordshire in 1939. He was educated in Bedfordshire before joining the Royal Navy at HMS Ganges as a boy seaman in September 1954. Kime was subsequently selected for the communications branch and later passed out as a signal boy.

Kime’s service in the RN included sea service in the submarine depot ship HMS Adamant, the supply ship RFA Fort Charlotte, the cruiser HMS Newfoundland, the destroyers HM ships Cheviot, Cossack, Cockade, Saintes, the sloop HMS Modeste and the coastal minesweeper HMS Highburton. Kime’s RN service also included two deployments to the Persian Gulf and two periods of Royal Yacht escort duty to West Africa with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and to North Africa with Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

In June 1966, Kime’s service engagement with the RN concluded and he subsequently joined the RAN in January 1967 as a Petty Officer Signals Yeoman. Kime proceeded to serve in HMA ships Anzac (II), Supply (I), Sydney (III), Vampire (II), Melbourne (II) and Stalwart (II) during which time he saw service with the Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR) and in Malaya.

Kime’s shore postings were predominately spent at HMAS Cerberus where he was instrumental in moulding generations of members of the RAN’s Communications Branch. Kime served as the Fleet Warrant Officer Signals Yeoman twice and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (Military Division) in 1983 for his services to RAN Communications. Appointed to commissioned rank in 1988, Kime served in a number of positions before his final posting as the Officer-in-Charge of the RAN Communication School at HMAS Cerberus.

Kime retired from full-time naval service in 1995 after 41 years of combined service in the RN and RAN. His passion for the Navy continued in his retirement, as Kime became a leading figure in the RAN Communications Branch Association, the Naval Association of Australia and as President of the Frankston Naval Memorial Club. 

Lieutenant Commander Richard ‘Harry’ Kime OAM, RAN (Ret’d) passed away on 20 January 2021. His good standing among the naval community was demonstrated by the hundreds of supportive messages left by current serving and former members of the RAN. His passion and dedication to naval service ensured that he will be remembered as one of the most influential people to serve within the RAN’s Communications Branch.  

RAN Communications Officers Course (RANCOC) participants, staff of the RAN Communications School and Officer-in-Charge Harry Kime (front row, third from the right). 1992

Memorial plaque situated on a pavilion at the RAN Communications School. The pavilion is affectionately referred to as ‘Harry's Hut’.