Harold Farncomb

Harold Farncomb was born in North Sydney, New South Wales on 28 February 1899, the second child of Frank Farncomb and Helen Louisa Farncomb, née Sampson. The family lived in Gordon on the north shore of Sydney. He attended Gordon Public School and Sydney Boys' High School before entering the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) at age 13 in the RANC's first intake. Farncomb excelled academically at the RANC, graduating with very impressive scores and topped his final year (1916).Alan Zammit, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140148b.htm 'Farncomb, Harold Bruce (1899–1971)'], Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14, Melbourne University Press, 1996, pp. 139–141. On completing his studies at the RANC he was promoted to midshipman on 1 January 1917 and left immediately on the steamer Naldera for training with the Royal Navy. Farncomb was stationed on board the battleship {{HMS|Royal Sovereign|05|6}} in April 1917.

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Farncomb served on Royal Sovereign until shortly after the end of World War I. On leaving Royal Sovereign Farncomb was promoted to sub-lieutenant and sent to {{HMS|Excellent|shore establishment|6}} on Whale Island for course training. After completing training at Whale Island Farncomb was transferred to Woolsher, a small craft attached to the destroyer force at the Firth of Forth. He then received his first posting in Australia; stationed on board {{HMAS|Stalwart|H14|6}} for a year as a gunnery officer, this posting was followed by a year on the staff of Commodore Percy Addison, Commodore Commanding the Australia Squadron (CCAS).David Stevens, ed. 1996. The Royal Australian Navy in World War II. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. {{ISBN|1-74114-184-2}}

pp. 234–235 In May 1925, after a 10-month war staff course in the United Kingdom, he took a posting as a staff officer (operations) with the CCAS.

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Farncomb left the service in 1951 and learned Latin to enable him to study for the Barristers' Admission Board examinations. Admitted to the Bar on 6 June 1958, he developed a reasonably busy practice in Sydney and subsequently joined the solicitors, Alfred Rofe & Sons.

A street in the town of Narooma is named in Farncomb's honour.Australia's Argonauts: The remarkable story of the first class to enter the Royal Australian Naval College, Echo Books, Canberra, 2016, p.580

Heart disease eventually led to his retirement.

On 31 March 1927 at Trinity Congregational Church, Strathfield, Sydney, he married Jean Ross Nott; they were to remain childless. "Jean provided staunch support throughout the vicissitudes of her husband's career".

Survived by his wife, Farncomb died of heart failure on 12 February 1971 in St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, and was cremated with Anglican rites. His ashes were scattered at sea on 2 March from the flight deck of his last flagship, {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|6}}, off the coast of Western Australia.{{cite book |last=Lind |first=Lew |title=The Royal Australian Navy: Historic Naval Events Year by Year |edition=2nd |year=1986 |publisher=Reed Books |location=Frenchs Forest, NSW |isbn=0-7301-0071-5 |oclc=16922225 |page=281}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120924164636/http://cas.awm.gov.au/art/ART31765 1956 portrait] of RAdm Farncomb by Harold Abbott

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{{Succession box|

title=Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron|

before=Commodore John Collins|

after=Rear Admiral John Eccles
as Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet|

years=1946–1949|

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{{Succession box|

title=Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron|

before=Captain Charles Nichols|

after=Commodore John Collins|

years=1944–1945|

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{{Fleet Commander of the Royal Australian Navy}}

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Category:1899 births

Category:1971 deaths

Category:Australian military personnel of World War I

Category:Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order

Category:Australian Companions of the Order of the Bath

Category:Australian Members of the Royal Victorian Order

Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit

Category:Graduates of the Royal Australian Naval College

Category:Military personnel from Sydney

Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)

Category:Royal Australian Navy admirals

Category:Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II