William Staveley (admiral)

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Sir William Staveley
10 November 1928 – 13 October 1997

Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Staveley
Crown Copyright
Allegiance Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service 1942 - 1989
Rank Admiral of the Fleet
Commands held First Sea Lord
Awards GCB

Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Doveton Minet Staveley GCB (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 grandfather was General Sir Charles William Dunbar Staveley GCB.

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] Naval career

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 Office 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 Defence Staff[2].

He was appointed Commander-in-chief of Allied Command Channel 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

[edit] Personal life

In 1954, he married Bettina Kirstine Shuter, and they had a son and a daughter[5].

[edit] References

  1. ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 234
  2. ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 235
  3. ^ NATO organisation
  4. ^ Chatham Historic Dockyard
  5. ^ 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


Military offices
Preceded by
Sir John Fieldhouse		 First Sea Lord
1985–1989		 Succeeded by
Sir Julian Oswald
v • d • e
First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Admiral of the Fleet
First Naval Lords (1828–1904)
First Sea Lords (1904–present)

Sir John Fisher · Sir Arthur Wilson · Sir Francis Bridgeman · Prince Louis of Battenberg · The Baron Fisher of Kilverstone · Sir Henry Jackson · Sir John Jellicoe · Sir Rosslyn Wemyss · The Earl Beatty · Sir Charles Madden, Bt · Sir Frederick Field · The Lord Chatfield · Sir Roger Backhouse · Sir Dudley Pound · The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope · Sir John Cunningham · The Lord Fraser of North Cape · Sir Rhoderick McGrigor · The Earl Mountbatten of Burma · Sir Charles Lambe · Sir Caspar John · Sir David Luce · Sir Varyl Begg · Sir Michael Le Fanu · Sir Peter Hill-Norton · Sir Michael Pollock · Sir Edward Ashmore · Sir Terence Lewin · Sir Henry Leach · Sir John Fieldhouse · Sir William Staveley · Sir Julian Oswald · Sir Benjamin Bathurst · Sir Jock Slater · Sir Michael Boyce · Sir Nigel Essenhigh · Sir Alan West · Sir Jonathon Band
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