Allegiance United Kingdom India Died August 21, 1972 Years of service 1905–1951 Awards Order of the Bath | Name Edward Parry Rank Admiral | |
Born 8 April 1893 ( 1893-04-08 ) Service/branch Royal Navy Royal Indian Navy Commands held New Zealand DivisionHMS Renown Battles/wars First World WarSecond World WarBattle of the River PlateNormandy landings Battles and wars World War I, Battle of the River Plate, Normandy landings, World War II | ||
Admiral Sir William Edward Parry, (8 April 1893 – 21 August 1972) was an officer of the Royal Navy.
Naval career
Parry joined the Royal Navy 1905 and served in the First World War. He was appointed Officer in charge of the Anti-Submarine Establishment at Portland in 1936. During the Second World War, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Division commanding HMNZS Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. He assumed command of HMS Renown in 1943. He took part in the Normandy landings and served on the staff of Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force in 1944. After the war he became Deputy Head of the Naval Division at the Allied Control Commission in Germany. Parry became Director of Naval Intelligence in July 1946 and Chief of Naval Staff (Commander-in-Chief) of the Royal Indian Navy in August 1948. He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1950 New Year Honours before retiring in 1951.
In the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate, Parry was played by Jack Gwillim.