William Whitworth
Admiral Sir William Jock Whitworth KCB DSO (29 June 1884 – 25 October 1973) was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.
Sir William Whitworth | |
|---|---|
 Vice-Admiral Whitworth, the Second Sea Lord, coming ashore after inspecting HMS Vanessa at the port of Liverpool | |
| Born | 29 June 1884 |
| Died | 25 October 1973 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Years of service | 1899–1946 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Stuart HMS Rodney HMS Warspite Rosyth |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
Naval career
Whitworth joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1899.[1] He served in World War I and then became Commanding Officer at the Physical and Recreational Training School in Portsmouth in 1926.[1] He was given command of HMS Stuart and the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1928.[1]
In 1933 he was appointed Captain of the Fleet to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and in 1936 he took command of the battleship HMS Rodney.[1] He was made Naval Secretary in 1937.[1]
He served in World War II and commanded the Battle Cruiser Squadron in 1939.[1] He became heavily involved in the Norwegian Campaign[2] and in 1940, with his flag flying in the battleship HMS Warspite, he led the Royal Navy to victory at the second Battle of Narvik off Norway.[1] In Summer 1940 he returned to the Battle Cruiser Squadron.[2] He was made Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1941 and Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth in 1944.[1] He retired in 1946.[1]
Family
In 1910 he married Marguerite MacLean.[2]
References
- Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- Biography of Admiral Sir William Jock Whitworth HMS Hood Association
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Whitworth. |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Guy Royle |
Naval Secretary 1937–1939 |
Succeeded by Stuart Bonham Carter |
| Preceded by Sir Geoffrey Layton |
Commander, Battlecruiser Squadron 1939–1940 |
Succeeded by Sir James Somerville |
| Preceded by Sir James Somerville |
Commander, Battlecruiser Squadron 1940–1941 |
Succeeded by Lancelot Holland |
| Preceded by Sir Charles Little |
Second Sea Lord 1941–1944 |
Succeeded by Sir Algernon Willis |
| Preceded by Wilbraham Ford |
Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth June 1944 – July 1946 |
Succeeded by Last holder of post (replaced by Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton) |
Authority control  |
|
|---|