John Harvey Rainier

Admiral John Harvey Rainier (29 April 1847 – 21 November 1915) was a Royal Navy officer. He had the unusual distinction of commanding troops from six different nations in action.

Background Descended from the Huguenot family of Régnier, John Harvey Rainier was the son of the Rev. George Rainier, vicar of Ninfield, and of Sarah Rainier, née Harvey. His elder brother, George Harvey Rainier, was also a naval officer. Another brother, the Rev. W. V. Rainier, was a naval chaplain.

Rainier was descended from two families with long naval connections. On his father's side, he was related to Admiral Peter Rainier, Rear-Admiral John Spratt Rainier, and Captain Peter Rainier. Through his mother, Rainier belonged to a family whose naval associations can be traced back to the 16th century. He was the grandson of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey, and the great-grandson of Admiral Sir Henry Harvey and of Captain John Harvey, who fell at the Glorious First of June.

Early life and career Rainier was educated at private schools before entering HMS Britannia in December 1860 as a cadet, scoring first of thirty-four successful candidates. From 1862 to 1866, he served on the Pacific Station in HMS Tribune, Topaze, Sutlej, Leander, and Alert. Becoming a sub-lieutenant in 1866 and a lieutenant in 1869, he served from 1867 to 1870 on the West African Station in HMS Vestal, Rattlesnake, and Plover, then on the Plover in the West Indies from 1870 to 1871. Rainier was next appointed to the command of the corvette HMS Tourmaline in 1889 on the North America and West Indies Station. In February 1897, Rodney joined the International Squadron off the coast of Crete during the island's revolt against Ottoman rule.

In March, following reports of massacres of Muslims by Christian insurgents, Rainier led an international landing force consisting of 200 British Royal Marines and sailors, 100 men each from Austro-Hungarian and French warships, 75 Russians, and 50 Italian sailors on an expedition inland to Kandanos (also spelt Candanos), which rescued 1,570 Muslim civilians and 340 Ottoman soldiers from Kandanos and 112 Ottoman troops from a fort at Spaniakos (or 3,000 in total according to some contemporaneous sources) and evacuated them by sea. Of the rescued, only one civilian was wounded, while the Christian insurgents lost four killed and 16 wounded.

For his part in the expedition, Rainier was mentioned in despatches and personally thanked by the senior foreign admiral. The same year, he was granted a captain's good service pension.

Promoted to vice-admiral on 26 June 1905, he was placed on the retired list at his own request on 1 August that year. Promoted to admiral on the retired list on 5 November 1908, he died in 1915 at St. Margaret's, Southborough, Kent.