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Vice Admiral Sir Wilfred Hastings "Arch" Harrington, KBE, CB, DSO (17 May 1906 – 17 December 1965) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), who served as First Naval Member and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1962 to 1965.

Naval service

Born as the son of Hubert Ernest Harrington and his wife Laura Irene Barton, "Arch" Harrington was educated at Wychbury Preparatory School in Maryborough. In 1924, he joined the Royal Australian Naval College as a cadet midshipman. He served in the Second World War initially in command of the sloop HMAS Yarra, in which he saw action off the coast of Shatt al-Arab in Iraq in May 1941 and for which role he was mentioned in despatches. For his services in the War against Persia in August 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In February 1942 he moved to the cruiser HMAS Australia as Executive Officer, in which role he was again mentioned in dispatches, and in July 1944 he took command of the destroyer HMAS Quiberon.

Promoted to captain in 1947, he was given command of the destroyer HMAS Warramunga and in 1950 became Director of Manning at the Navy Office in Melbourne. He took command of the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney in 1955, and following his promotion to rear admiral in 1957, he became Flag Officer, East Australia Area. He went on to be Second Naval Member of the Naval Board in 1958, Flag Officer commanding HM Australian Fleet in 1959 and First Naval Member and Chief of Naval Staff in 1962.

Post service and death

Harrington was appointed Commissioner-General for Australia at Expo 67, but died in Canberra Hospital in December 1965. On 20 December, the ashes of Vice Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington were scattered from HMAS Vampire off the coast of Sydney.

Family

In 1945, he married Agnes Janet Winser; they had two sons and two daughters.

References

1. ^ Hastings Harrington at Australian Dictionary of Biography
2. ^ U-boat.net
3. Bastock p. 322

Sources

• Bastock, John (1975). Australia's Ships of War. Cremorne, NSW: Angus and Robertson. ISBN 0-207-12927-4. OCLC 2525523.

v t e Chiefs of the Royal Australian Navy
Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces	Sir William Rooke Creswell
First Naval Members, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board	Sir William Rooke Creswell Sir Percy Grant Sir Allan Everett Percival Hall-Thompson William Napier Sir William Munro Kerr Sir George Hyde Sir Ragnar Colvin Sir Guy Royle Sir Louis Keppel Hamilton Sir John Augustine Collins Sir Roy Dowling Sir Henry Burrell Sir Hastings Harrington Sir Alan McNicoll Sir Victor Smith Sir Richard Peek Sir David Stevenson
Chiefs of the Naval Staff	Sir Anthony Synnot Sir James Willis David Leach Michael Hudson Ian MacDougall Rodney Taylor
Chiefs of Navy	Rodney Taylor Donald Chalmers David Shackleton Chris Ritchie Russ Shalders Russell Crane Raymond Griggs Timothy Barrett Michael Noonan Mark Hammond

v t e Fleet Commanders of the Royal Australian Navy
Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet	Sir George Patey Sir William Pakenham Arthur Leveson Sir Lionel Halsey John Dumaresq Albert Addison Thomas Wardle
Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron	George Hyde Edward Evans Leonard Holbrook Robin Dalglish Wilbraham Ford Richard Lane-Poole Wilfred Custance Wilfrid Patterson John Crace Victor Crutchley John Collins Charles Nichols Harold Farncomb John Collins Harold Farncomb
Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet	John Eccles John Eaton Roy Dowling Henry Burrell David Harries Henry Burrell Galfry Gatacre Hastings Harrington Alan McNicoll Otto Becher Thomas Morrison Victor Smith Richard Peek Gordon Crabb David Stevenson William Dovers David Stevenson William Dovers Anthony Synnot David Wells Geoffrey Gladstone Neil McDonald James Willis David Leach Peter Doyle John Stevens Michael Hudson Geoffrey Woolrych Ian Knox Peter Sinclair
Maritime Commander Australia	Peter Sinclair Ian MacDougall Ken Doolan Robert Walls Donald Chalmers Chris Oxenbould Chris Ritchie John Lord Geoffrey Smith Raydon Gates Rowan Moffitt Davyd Thomas
Commander Australian Fleet	Davyd Thomas Nigel Coates Steve Gilmore Tim Barrett Stuart Mayer Jonathan Mead Mark Hammond Jonathan Earley

• 1906 births
• 1965 deaths
• Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II
• Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
• Companions of the Order of the Bath
• Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• Graduates of the Royal Australian Naval College
• Royal Australian Navy admirals
• Military personnel from Queensland