William Munro Kerr

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Sir William Munro Kerr
Born(1876-03-04)4 March 1876
Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Died26 October 1959(1959-10-26) (aged 83)
Lymington, Hampshire, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1892–1936
RankVice Admiral
Commands heldReserve Fleet (1932–34)
Chief of the Australian Naval Staff (1929–31)
1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet (1928–29)
HMS Eagle (1925–26)
HMS Ajax (1924–25)
HMS Calliope (1924_
Rosyth Dockyard (1921–23)
HMS Caradoc (1917–19)
HMS Centurion (1916)
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath

Vice Admiral Sir William Munro Kerr KBE, CB (4 March 1876 – 26 October 1959) was a Royal Navy officer who served as First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff from 1929 to 1931.

Naval service[edit]

Kerr joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1892.[1] In November 1901, Kerr—by then a lieutenant—was lent to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich for the compass course.[2] In May the following year he was appointed lieutenant in charge of navigation at HMS Hermione, serving at the Mediterranean station.[3] After serving in the First World War, he was appointed Captain of the Dockyard and King's Harbour Master at Rosyth in 1921 and Rear Admiral of the 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1928.[4] He went on to be First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff in 1929[5] and, having been promoted to vice admiral in 1931,[1] he became Commander-in-Chief of the Reserve Fleet later that year.[6] He retired in 1936.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Royal Navy Flag Officers 1904–1945
  2. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36598. London. 29 October 1901. p. 8.
  3. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36760. London. 6 May 1902. p. 11.
  4. ^ Mediterranean Fleet The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 March 1928
  5. ^ Four New Admirals Evening Post, 23 May 1929
  6. ^ Royal Navy October 1932
  7. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1937
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of the Australian Naval Staff
1929–1931
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Reserve Fleet
1932–1934
Succeeded by