Peveril William-Powlett
Vice Admiral Sir Peveril Barton Reiby Wallop William-Powlett KCB KCMG CBE DSO (5 March 1898 – 10 November 1985) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station.
Sir Peveril William-Powlett | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1898 Abergavenny, Monmouthshire |
| Died | 10 November 1985 (aged 87) Honiton, Devon |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1914–1954 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Frobisher HMS Fiji HMS Newcastle South Atlantic Station |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order |
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Naval career
William-Powlett attended Cordwalles School[2] and joined the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in 1914 and served in World War I specialising in signals.[3] A keen sportsman, he played rugby for England in 1922.[4] He saw service with the New Zealand Division from 1931 to 1936 and then commanded the cadet training ship HMS Frobisher in 1939.[3]
In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[5]
He served in World War II as Director of Manning at the Admiralty and then commanded the cruiser HMS Fiji which was sunk during the Battle of Crete in 1941.[3] He was appointed Chief of Staff of Force H at Gibraltar in 1941 and then commanded HMS Newcastle from 1942.[3] He became Captain of the Fleet in the Home Fleet in 1944.[3]
After the War he commanded the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and then became Naval Secretary in 1948.[3] He went on to be Flag Officer (Destroyers) in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1950 and Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic in 1952.[3] He retired in 1954.[3]
In retirement he served as Governor of Southern Rhodesia from 1954 until 1959.[3]
Family
In 1923, he married Helen Constance Crombie; they had three daughters.[6] Following the death of his first wife he married Barbara Patience William-Powett, widow of his brother, in 1966.[6]
His second daughter, Helen, married Henry Bruce of Salloch, and was the mother of the royal commentator Alastair Bruce of Crionaich.[7]
References
- Peveril William-Powlett profile at scrum.com
- "WILLIAM-POWLETT, Vice-Admiral Sir Peveril (Barton Reibey Wallop)". Who Was Who. A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press. November 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012. (subscription required)
- Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ESPN Scrum
- "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- Unit Histories
- Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. pp. 1297–1298. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Maurice Mansergh |
Naval Secretary 1948–1950 |
Succeeded by William Davis |
| Preceded by Sir Herbert Packer |
Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station 1952–1954 |
Succeeded by Sir Ian Campbell |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Robert Tredgold |
Governor of Southern Rhodesia 1954-1959 |
Succeeded by Sir Humphrey Gibbs |