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William Napier (Royal Navy officer)

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William Napier
Born(1877-06-13)13 June 1877
Southsea, Hampshire
Died8 April 1951(1951-04-08) (aged 73)
Fareham, Hampshire
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1887–1929
RankAdmiral
CommandsChief 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 / warsFirst World War
AwardsCompanion 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.

Napier joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1887.[1] He was a lieutenant when on 25 July 1902 he was posted to the cruiser HMS St George, serving in the Cruiser squadron.[2]

He served during the First World War and was mentioned in despatches for his service in the Gallipoli Campaign[3] and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for minesweeping operations.[4] He was appointed First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff in 1926; he retired in 1929 and was promoted to full admiral in 1933.[5] He died at his home in Fareham in Hampshire in 1951.[5]

References

  1. ^ Royal Navy Flag Officers 1904–1945
  2. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36812. London. 5 July 1902. p. 9. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
  3. ^ World War 1 at Sea from the London Gazette, August 1914 to December 1920
  4. ^ Naval Gallantry Awards 1917
  5. ^ a b Admiral Napier Dead Canberra Times, 11 April 1951.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of the Australian Naval Staff
1926–1929
Succeeded by
Vice Admiral Sir William Kerr