Cecil Harcourt
Royal Navy admiral (1892-1959)
Admiral Sir Cecil Halliday Jepson Harcourt (translated to Chinese as 夏慤; haa6 kok3; 11 April 1892 – 19 December 1959) was a British naval officer. He was the de facto governor of Hong Kong as commander-in-chief and head of the military administration from September 1945 to May 1946. He was called by the Chinese name "Ha Kok", a reference to the fourth-century Chinese nobleman Chung Kok.
Military career
Harcourt was born in Bromley, Kent, England, to Halliday Harcourt and Grace Lilian (née Jepson) on 11 April 1892. He was educated at Fonthill, East Grinstead, and later at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth (1904–1908). He had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, which he entered on 15 September 1904, at the age of 12. He served in both world wars.
In 1939, Harcourt was appointed Director of the Admiralty's Operations Division. In 1941 he was Flag Captain of the Home Fleet, while commanding HMS Duke of York. In August 1942 until January 1943 he commanded the 10th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet.
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