William Staveley (Royal Navy officer)
| Sir William Staveley | |
|---|---|
 The then Rear admiral William Staveley |
|
| Born | 10 November 1928 |
| Died | 13 October 1997 (aged 68) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1942 - 1989 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held | HMS Zulu HMS Albion Fleet |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Doveton Minet Staveley GCB, DL (10 November 1928 – 13 October 1997), was Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Staveley was the son of Admiral Cecil Minet Staveley, CB, CMG, and his wife Margaret Adela (née Sturdee). His paternal grandfather was General Sir Charles William Dunbar Staveley GCB. His maternal grandfather was Admiral of the Fleet Sir Doveton Sturdee.
He was educated at West Downs School, Winchester, then at the Britannia Royal Naval College (while it was still called the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth) and the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
[edit]
He joined the Royal Navy in 1942. He served on HM Yacht Britannia in 1957 and subsequently in the Far East, Middle East and Mediterranean.
He commanded HMS Zulu during 1967 before being appointed Assistant Director of Naval Plans at the Ministry of Defence. He went on to command HMS Albion between 1972 and 1973.[1]
In 1974, he was appointed Director of Naval Plans and Flag Officer 2nd Flotilla. In 1976 he went on to become Flag Officer Carriers & Amphibious Ships. In 1978 he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet and in 1980 he became Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.[2]
He was appointed Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1982[3] and then went on to serve as First Sea Lord from 1985 until 1989 when he left the Royal Navy.
[edit] Later career
In retirement he was a director of the British School of Osteopathy (1990–96) and its Chairman (1992–1996), a Trustee of Chatham Historic Dockyard,[4] President of the Kent Branch of the Royal British Legion (1991- ), President of the Kent Council for the Protection of Rural England (1997- ), Vice-President of the Falkland Islands Association, 1991; Member of the Court of the University of Kent (1988- ) and of its Council (1992- ); and a governor of Sutton Valence School (1990–1992).
[edit] Honours
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, 1981
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, 1984
- Freeman of the City of London, 1987
- Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, 1992
[edit] Personal life
In 1954, he married Bettina Kirstine Shuter, and they had a son and a daughter.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 234
- ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 235
- ^ NATO organisation
- ^ Chatham Historic Dockyard
- ^ Who's Who 1997 (A. & C. Black, London, 1997)
[edit] Further reading
- The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0-85052-835-6
[edit] External links
- A.B. Sainsbury (Thursday, 16 October 1997). "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Staveley". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-admiral-of-the-fleet-sir-william-staveley-1236166.html. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Anthony Morton |
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1980–1982 |
Succeeded by Sir Peter Stanford |
| Preceded by Sir John Fieldhouse |
Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1982–1985 |
Succeeded by Sir Nicholas Hunt |
| Preceded by Sir John Fieldhouse |
First Sea Lord 1985–1989 |
Succeeded by Sir Julian Oswald |
