Robert Atkinson

Sir Robert Atkinson, (7 March 1916 – 25 January 2015) was a British businessman and decorated Royal Navy officer. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross three times. Later, he was a businessman involved in shipbuilding and served as Chairman of British Shipbuilders from 1980 to 1984.

Early life Atkinson was born on 7 March 1916 in Tynemouth, England. He was one of three sons born to Nicholas Ridley Atkinson, a civil engineer with the Tynemouth Improvement Commission, and his wife Margaret. He was educated at a grammar school, His first command was a requisitioned private yacht, , which he sailed from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar. From there, he was to conduct irregular operations in the Mediterranean Sea. One such operation was the seizure of an Italian tanker carrying aviation fuel, which he then sailed back to the UK. He later described the act, committed against a country that had yet to enter World War II, as 'pure act of piracy'.

He was awarded his first Distinguished Service Cross in 1941. He was the second-in-command of , a , and was involved in the dangerous duty of convoy escort. He received his third in 1945 for sinking German submarine U-878 in the .

Personal life In 1941, Atkinson married Joyce Forster. Together they had two children; one son and one daughter. His first wife died in 1973. In 1977, he married Margaret Hazel Walker. They did not have any children. On 19 October 1943, he was awarded a bar to his Distinguished Service Cross (IE awarded the DSC for a second time) "For gallantry and devotion to duty in determined and successful attacks on U-boats while serving in H.M. Ships Duncan, Pink, Sunflower, Vidette, Tay, Loosestrife, Alisma, Spey, Pelican, Jed, Snowflake and Lagan on Convoy Escort duty". He was also mentioned in despatches in 1943, and awarded a second bar to his DSC in 1944.

In 1947, Atkinson was awarded the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve, commonly known as the Reserve Decoration (RD), for long service in the Royal Naval Reserve. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 1983, and therefore granted the title sir. He elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 1983.