Robert Ryder Robert Edward Dudley Ryder VC ( 16 February 1908 — 29 June 1986 ) was a Royal Navy officer and a British recipient of the Victoria Cross , the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces . He became a Conservative Member of Parliament after retiring from the navy . Early life . Ryder was born in India in 1908 to Colonel Charles Henry Dudley Ryder , CB , CIE , DSO , Surveyor General of India , and Ida Josephine Grigg . He was a great - grandson of the Right Reverend Henry Ryder , youngest son of Nathaniel Ryder , 1st Baron Harrowby . Ryder had two brothers ; both were killed in the Second World War . Lisle Charles Dudley Ryder died in the Le Paradis massacre of 1940 in France . Ernle Terrick Dudley Ryder died in captivity after the defence of Singapore . Ryder was educated at Hazelhurst School and Cheltenham College before he entered the Royal Navy in 1926 . Naval career . Ryder served on several ships throughout his career . He served as a Midshipman on the battleship HMS " Ramillies " from 1927 to 1929 . As a Lieutenant he served in the submarine HMS " Olympus " as part of the 4th Flotilla in China from 1930 to 1933 . Ryder also commanded several expeditions . This included captaining the ketch " Tai - Mo - Shan " on a 16 , 217 mile voyage from Hong Kong to Dartmouth , England during 1933 – 1934 . From 1934 to 1937 he captained the schooner " Penola " during the British Graham Land Expedition in Antarctica . When the Second World War started , Ryder was serving as a Lieutenant Commander on HMS " Warspite " . In 1940 , he was promoted to Commander of the frigate HMS " Fleetwood " and in 1941 , he went on to captain the " Prince Philippe " which sank after a collision in the Firth of Clyde . Ryder , now a Commander led the St . Nazaire Raid , codenamed Operation Chariot on 28 March 1942 . This was a successful operation to destroy the " Normandie Dock " in the German naval base in the town . The stated aim of the operation was to deny large German ships , particularly the German battleship " Tirpitz " , a base on the $ 3 coast . For his actions during this operation he was one of five people awarded the Victoria Cross , the highest award for valour of the British Empire . Victoria Cross . The official citation : The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Victoria Cross for daring and valour in the attack on the German Naval Base at St . Nazaire , to : < br > Commander Robert Edward Dudley Ryder , Royal Navy . < br > For great gallantry in the attack on St . Nazaire . He commanded a force of small unprotected ships in an attack on a heavily defended port and led H . M . S . Campbeltown in under intense fire from short range weapons at point blank range . Though the main object of the expedition had been accomplished in the beaching of Campbeltown , he remained on the spot conducting operations , evacuating men from Campbeltown and dealing with strong points and close range weapons while exposed to heavy fire for one hour and sixteen minutes , and did not withdraw till it was certain that his ship could be of no use in rescuing any of the Commando Troops who were still ashore . That his Motor Gun Boat , now full of dead and wounded , should have survived and should have been able to withdraw through an intense barrage of close range fire was almost a miracle . His medal is held by the Imperial War Museum , London . Later naval career . Ryder took part in the Allied attack on the German - occupied port of Dieppe , Seine - Inférieure on the Northern coast of France on 19 August 1942 . The Dieppe Raid was largely a failure but it helped influence planning for Operation Overlord , the landings at D - Day . Ryder achieved a final rank of Captain in 1948 . He commanded the research vessel " Penola " on the Rymill Expedition to the Antarctic and later served as naval attaché at Oslo . Later life . Following his naval career , he stood for election to the Houses of Commons as the Conservative Party candidate for Merton and Morden at the 1950 general election . He was elected and served as the MP for five years . He died on 29 June 1986 , whilst on the yacht " Watchdog " during a sailing trip to France . He is buried in Headington Crematorium , Oxford . Robert Ryder does not have a CWGC entry as he died in 1986 . The entry listed here is for Lisle Charles Dudley Ryder a Major in the Royal Norfolk regiment who died in 1940