William Napier (Royal Navy officer)

William Napier
William Napier
Born	13 June 1877; Southsea, Hampshire
Died	8 April 1951 (aged 73); Fareham, Hampshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1887–1929
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Chief of the Australian Naval Staff (1926–29); HMS Vernon (1924); HMS Royal Sovereign (1922–24); HMS Castor (1920; HMS Coventry (1919–20); HMS Buttercup (1916); HMS Sir Thomas Picton (1915–16); HMS Thames (1909–11); HMS Vesuvius (1906–08)
Battles/wars	First World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath; Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George; Distinguished Service Order; Mentioned in Despatches

Admiral William Rawdon Napier, CB, CMG, DSO (13 June 1877 – 8 April 1951) was a Royal Navy officer who served as First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff from 1926 to 1929.

Naval service[edit]

Napier joined the Royal Navy as a naval cadet in January 1891.^[1] He was promoted to lieutenant on 15 January 1898. From 25 July 1902 he was posted to the cruiser HMS St George, serving in the Cruiser squadron,^[2] before becoming torpedo officer (T) in the cruiser HMS Good Hope when it commissioned for service in the Atlantic Fleet in November 1902.^[3]

He served during the First World War and was mentioned in despatches for his service in the Gallipoli campaign^[4] and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for minesweeping operations.^[5] He was appointed First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff in 1926; promoted vice-admiral on 31 July 1929 and retired the following day.^[6]

He was promoted to full admiral on the Retired list in 1933.^[7] He died at his home in Fareham in Hampshire in 1951.^[8]

References[edit]

^ Dreadnought Project.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36812. London. 5 July 1902. p. 9.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36858. London. 28 August 1902. p. 4.
^ World War 1 at Sea from the London Gazette, August 1914 to December 1920
^ Naval Gallantry Awards 1917
^ "No. 33523". The London Gazette. 6 August 1929. p. 5145.
^ "No. 33983". The London Gazette. 3 October 1933. p. 6355.
^ Admiral Napier Dead Canberra Times, 11 April 1951.

Military offices
Preceded by Rear Admiral Percival Hall-Thompson	Chief of the Australian Naval Staff 1926–1929	Succeeded by Vice Admiral Sir William Kerr

[1] Dreadnought Project.

[2] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36812. London. 5 July 1902. p. 9.

[3] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36858. London. 28 August 1902. p. 4.

[4] World War 1 at Sea from the London Gazette, August 1914 to December 1920

[5] Naval Gallantry Awards 1917

[6] "No. 33523". The London Gazette. 6 August 1929. p. 5145.

[7] "No. 33983". The London Gazette. 3 October 1933. p. 6355.

[canberra-8] Admiral Napier Dead Canberra Times, 11 April 1951.

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v t e Chiefs of the Royal Australian Navy
Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces	Sir William Rooke Creswell
First Naval Members, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board	Sir William Rooke Creswell Sir Percy Grant Sir Allan Everett Percival Hall-Thompson William Napier Sir William Munro Kerr Sir George Hyde Sir Ragnar Colvin Sir Guy Royle Sir Louis Keppel Hamilton Sir John Augustine Collins Sir Roy Dowling Sir Henry Burrell Sir Hastings Harrington Sir Alan McNicoll Sir Victor Smith Sir Richard Peek Sir David Stevenson
Chiefs of the Naval Staff	Sir Anthony Synnot Sir James Willis David Leach Michael Hudson Ian MacDougall Rodney Taylor
Chiefs of Navy	Rodney Taylor Donald Chalmers David Shackleton Chris Ritchie Russ Shalders Russell Crane Raymond Griggs Timothy Barrett Michael Noonan Mark Hammond