John Huddart was born in Llandaff in Glamorgan on 18 February 1911, the son of George William Otter Huddart (a garage proprietor) and Clare Isabelle Huddart of Lindfield, Sussex.

He joined the Royal Navy at Dartmouth as a Naval Cadet in September 1924.  On 1 May 1928 he was appointed to the battleship HMS RESOLUTION and promoted Midshipman on 1 January 1929.  On 30 Apr 31, he attended the Royal Naval College at Greenwich for his Lieutenant’s Courses, where he was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on 1 May 31.  He continued his naval training at the Naval College at Portsmouth where he was trained in Gunnery, Torpedoes and Navigation from 4 Jan 32.  On 5 Sep, he joined the Minesweeper HMS DUNOON (1st Mine Sweeping Flotilla) at Portland.

Promotion to Lieutenant followed on 1 March 1934.  John Huddart then joined submarines, and, on 15 May 1934, he was serving in HMS ORPHEUS as the Navigator as part of the 4th Submarine Flotilla at Hong Kong.  After his return home, he was appointed to HMS L27 as First Lieutenant to date 25 April 1937.  A further appointment to the Far East followed with a return to HMS ORPHEUS as First Lieutenant on 19 June 1938.

Returning home again, he joined the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE ‘for the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (COQC)’ on 6 May 1940.  After successful completion of the course, he served in command of HMS H44 from 11 August 1940, then L27 from 15 October, followed by HMS H34 from 13 January 1941, thence to H43 from 7 March 1941 and ‘HMS PROTEUS in Command’ from 15 April 1941.  He was next appointed as Spare Crew CO in HMS MAIDSTONE, then to HMS TRIUMPH in command on 8 November 1941.

John Huddart sailed from Alexandria in TRIUMPH on 26 December 1941, tasked to land a team at Antiparos, then conduct a patrol in the Aegean before recovering the team.  A report was received confirming that the party had been landed on the 30 December, but the pick-up did not take place on 9 January 1942 as planned. TRIUMPH was not heard from again and was declared overdue on 14 January 1942.  It is believed that HMS TRIUMPH was lost with all hands after striking a mine on or about 9 January 1942.

John Huddart, of The Froyles, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 62 Column 1.