Born in Canterbury in Kent on 9 June 1907, Ronald James Burch was the son of Arthur Rodney Burch (a Civil Engineer) and Pauline Louisa Burch.  He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 June 1925.  In June 1927, Midshipman Ronald Burch (Seniority 15 September 1926) was serving in the Battleship HMS BARHAM to which he had been appointed on 15 September.  He was promoted Lieutenant on 1 February 1930 and joined Submarines in March 1930.

He was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN (5th Submarine Flotilla) at Gosport ‘for HMS REGULUS as Third Hand – standing by whilst completing at Vickers in Barrow in Furness (on 1 September 1930) and on Commissioning’ at Barrow on 1 Nov 30. Later, he joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS TITANIA (6th Submarine Flotilla) at Portland for HMS H34 as First Lieutenant on 30 Dec 31.

On 1 September 1933 he was appointed to the Special Service Vessel HMS PIGMY (Reserve Group of Submarines) at Portsmouth for Instructional Duties and for HMS L6.  In January 1935, he was serving in the Destroyer HMS TORRID as First Lieutenant (First Anti-Submarine Flotilla, Portland) to which he had been appointed on 13 Feb 34.

Ronald Burch was then sent to the Far East – taking passage for Hong Kong in the Blue Funnel Line SS PATROCLUS from Liverpool on 23 February 1935.  On arrival, he joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY (4th Submarine Flotilla) ‘for HMS PARTHIAN as First Lieutenant’ on 2 April. His career progression saw him returning home to HMS DOLPHIN (5th Submarine Flotilla) at Gosport on 31 August 1936 and to attend his Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (COQC) on 4 January 1937.  An appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS LUCIA (2nd Submarine Flotilla) at Devonport ‘for Submarines’ followed on 17 April 1937 before being sent to the Mediterranean where he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS CYCLOPS (1st Submarine Flotilla) at Malta for HMS SALMON in Command to date 16 July 1937.

He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 1 February 1938, and an appointment to HMS PRESIDENT then followed in December 1938 for ‘nine months study of languages in Esthonia’.  On return home, he was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarines’ on 6 September 1939.

Unusually, Ronald Burch is listed in the1939 Register together with his wife Nina N Burch as living at Church Farm, Guildford, Surrey.  Next followed an appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS FORTH (2nd Submarine Flotilla) at Rosyth ‘for Submarines’ for 19 November 1939 and then ‘for the Polish Submarine WILK as the Liaison Officer’ on 23 November 1939. He was awarded the Polish Cross of Valour for his services.

He was appointed to HMS FORTH ‘for HMS NARWHAL in Command’ on 26 February 1940.  The Submarine was transferred to the 6th Submarine Flotilla based on HMS ELFIN at Blyth.  Ronald Burch was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) – See London Gazette in June 1940 ‘for daring, endurance, and resource in conduct of hazardous and successful operations in submarines’.  HMS NARWHAL was lost with all hands after an attack by a Dornier aircraft near Fro Havlet, off Norway, on 23 July 1940.

Ronald Burch of 66 Colleywell Bay Road, Seaton Sluice, Seaton Deleval, Northumberland was the husband of Nina Nicholaevna Burch.  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No 36 Column No 3.