born March 22, 1910, Liverpool, Eng.
died Aug. 8, 1979, London
British novelist.
Trained in law, he served with the Royal Navy (194046), chiefly on dangerous Atlantic convoy runs. He put his experience to account in such books as H.M. Corvette (1942) and his best-known work, The Cruel Sea (1951), a best-seller that vividly captures life aboard a small ship in wartime. His later work includes The Story of Esther Costello (1953) and Smith and Jones (1963).