Died 25 October 1973 Rank Admiral Allegiance United Kingdom Name William Whitworth | Role Journalist Years of service 1899–1946 | |
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Commands held HMS StuartHMS RodneyHMS WarspiteRosyth | ||
William Whitworth at Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers
Admiral Sir William Jock Whitworth KCB DSO (29 June 1884 – 25 October 1973) was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.
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Naval career
Whitworth joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1899. He served in World War I and then became Commanding Officer at the Physical and Recreational Training School in Portsmouth in 1926. He was given command of HMS Stuart and the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1928.
In 1933 he was appointed Captain of the Fleet to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and in 1936 he took command of the battleship HMS Rodney. He was made Naval Secretary in 1937.
He served in World War II and commanded the Battle Cruiser Squadron in 1939. He became heavily involved in the Norwegian Campaign and in 1940, with his flag flying in the battleship HMS Warspite, he led the Royal Navy to victory at the second Battle of Narvik off Norway. In Sumer 1940 he returned to the Battle Cruiser Squadron. He was made Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1941 and Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth in 1944. He retired in 1946.
Family
In 1910 he married Marguerite MacLean.