Gilbert Hackforth-Jones

Who was Gilbert Hackforth-Jones?

Commander Frank Gilbert Hackforth-Jones R.N. was a British author of the mid 20th century. His writings reflected his own love and experience of the sea and sailing. He was the author of several novels and books for children and also wrote for BBC radio, the stage and cinema.

Hackforth-Jones was born at the end of the Victorian era in 1900, entering Osborne Naval College as a cadet in 1914. He saw active service in World War I in as a midshipman in the battleship Emperor of India before transferring to submarines in 1920. He became the commander of four submarines before his retirement in 1936.

During World War II Hackforth-Jones was recalled to the Admiralty, serving in the Technical Branch. His novel Fish Out of Water, is informed by his experiences in Birmingham in the early years of this war. It concerns a technical officer battling against indifference, ignorance and sabotage in his efforts to ensure the efficient production of munitions in the war effort.

In Yellow Peril, Hackforth-Jones re-worked a short story that first appeared in Sixteen Bells into a full-length novel.