Algernon Willis

Sir Algernon Willis
Born 1889
Died 1976
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Years of service 1904 - 1950
Rank Admiral of the Fleet
Commands held Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic
3rd Battle Squadron
Force H
Commander-in-Chief Levant
Mediterranean Fleet
Portsmouth Command
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Usborne Willis KCB DSO (1889–1976) was a British Royal Navy officer.

Contents

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Naval career

Willis joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1904[1] and went on to serve in World War I and then actions against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic from 1918 to 1919.[1]

In the Second World War he was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, first under Sir Dudley Pound and then in 1940.[1][2] under Sir Andrew Cunningham, He participated in various Fleet operations in the Mediterranean, including the Battle of Calabria in July 1940,[2] and the attack on Italian Fleet at Taranto in October 1940.[2]

In 1941 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic[1] with acting rank of Vice-Admiral and was responsible for convoys passing through to the Middle East and for operations against enemy vessels. Then in February 1942 he transferred to HMS Resolution as Vice-Admiral commanding 3rd Battle Squadron and Second in command Eastern Fleet under Admiral Sir James Somerville.[1] This Fleet was assigned the duty of protecting communications in the Indian Ocean.

In March 1943 he was Flag Officer commanding Force H,[1] the force which covered North African Operations and then the invasion of Italy. In October 1943 he became Commander-in-Chief, Levant after the Armistice with Italy when Force H dispersed.[1] As Commander-in-Chief Levant he conducted the Dodecanese Campaign of Autumn 1943 and attended the Cairo Conference.

He returned to the UK in 1944 and became Second Sea Lord[1] on the Board of Admiralty and held this appointment until February 1946 when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet.[1] He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1948.[1] He retired in 1950.[1] It was widely believed he was not made First Sea Lord because his wife was Prime Minister Clement Attlee's sister-in-law and Attlee felt such an appointment could look like nepotism.

He spent his last years in Petersfield in Hampshire.

Family

His wife was Lady Olive Willis.[3] They had two daughters.

Papers and Publications

After his death in 1976, 13 boxes of archived papers were presented to the Churchill Archives Centre in the University of Cambridge.[4] Additional documents are held by the National Archives.[5]

Reports in the London Gazette:

Despatches on actions against German and Japanese raiding ships 1941 Jan.-1943 Apr., by Vice-Admiral A. U. Willis, Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic Station and Admiral Sir James F. Somerville, Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet [1]
Despatch on operations in the Aegean 1943 Sept.7-Nov. 28, by Vice-Admiral Sir Algernon U. Willis, Commander-in-Chief, Levant [2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  2. ^ a b c Cunningham, Andrew (1952). Admiral A.B. Cunningham, A Sailor’s Odyssey. Hutchinson & Co, London. ASIN B0000CHWI2. 
  3. ^ Launch of HMS Ocean
  4. ^ Janus.lib.cam
  5. ^ National Archives
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Robert Raikes
Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station
1941–1942
Succeeded by
Sir Campbell Tait
Preceded by
Sir John Cunningham
Commander-in-Chief, Levant
October 1943–December 1943
Succeeded by
Sir Bernard Rawlings
Preceded by
Sir William Whitworth
Second Sea Lord
1944–1946
Succeeded by
Sir Arthur Power
Preceded by
Sir John Cunningham
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
1946–1948
Succeeded by
Sir Arthur Power
Preceded by
Lord Fraser of North Cape
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1948–1950
Succeeded by
Sir Arthur Power