William Rawdon Napier

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Admiral (retired) William Rawdon Napier, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. (13 June, 1877 – 8 April, 1951) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Commander Lenox Napier was born in Fareham, Southsea, Hants.

Napier was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 January, 1898.[1]

Napier was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1908 and appointed to Mercury for work with submarines. He was appointed in command of the Portsmouth Submarine Flotilla on 5 January, 1909. He remained there until 10 June when he was moved over to Thames while Commander Davies[2] was ill. His time in Thames would be extended, and he would command the flotilla from her until 21 November, 1911 when he was appointed to Prince George.[3]

Napier was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1913.[4]

He was appointed to the monitor Sir Thomas Picton on 22 June, 1915, to assume command when she was commissioned and to oversee the completion of other monitors building at Belfast until then. He was discharged from this duty on 9 March, 1916.[5]

On 9 November, 1916, he was appointed to Vernon, additional, as Superintendent of Mining and for charge of the mining school at the Gun Wharf.[6]

Post-War

Napier left his Mining Post on 21 October, 1919. In November, he was appointed in command of the Ceres Class light cruiser Coventry.[7]

Napier was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 2 September, 1924.[8]

Napier was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 31 July, 1929.[9]

Napier was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 30 September, 1933.[10]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Albert P. Addison
Captain of H.M. T.B. 71
15 Jun, 1897 – 10 Jul, 1897
Succeeded by
Sidney J. Meyrick
Preceded by
Algernon H. C. Candy
Captain of H.M. T.B. 82
20 Jun, 1902[11] – 25 Jul, 1902[12]
Succeeded by
Leonard L. P. Willan
Preceded by
Norton A. Sulivan
Captain of H.M. T.B. 79
14 Jul, 1904[13][14]
Succeeded by
Charles L. Fox
Preceded by
Vernon H. S. Haggard
Captain of H.M.S. Vesuvius
1 Jan, 1906[15] – 30 Jun, 1908[16]
Succeeded by
Leonard A. B. Donaldson
Preceded by
Oswald H. Davies
Captain of H.M.S. Thames
14 Jul, 1909[17][18] – 21 Nov, 1911[19]
Succeeded by
Alexander R. Palmer
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle
5 Sep, 1914[20][21] – 14 Mar, 1915[22]
Succeeded by
Herbert J. T. Marshall
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Sir Thomas Picton
22 Jun, 1915[23] – 9 Mar, 1916[24]
Succeeded by
Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by
Ronald C. Mayne
Captain of H.M.S. Buttercup
9 Mar, 1916[25] – 9 Nov, 1916[26]
Succeeded by
Richard H. Walters
Preceded by
?
Senior Naval Officer, Tenth Sloop Flotilla
9 Mar, 1916[27] – 9 Nov, 1916[28]
Succeeded by
Ronald C. Mayne
Preceded by
?
Captain of Portsmouth Mining School
9 Nov, 1916[29] – 21 Oct, 1919
Succeeded by
Alexander R. Palmer
Preceded by
Howard J. L. W. K. Willcox
Captain of H.M.S. Coventry
Nov, 1919[30]
Succeeded by
Alfred H. Norman
Preceded by
Hugh J. Tweedie
Captain of H.M.S. Castor
18 Apr, 1920[31] – 21 Dec, 1920[32]
Succeeded by
Alfred H. Norman
Preceded by
Robert N. Bax
Captain of H.M.S. Royal Sovereign
27 May, 1922[33] – 25 Apr, 1924[34]
Succeeded by
Bernard St. G. Collard
Preceded by
John D. Allen
Captain of H.M.S. Vernon
15 Jul, 1924[35] – 1 Nov, 1924[36]
Succeeded by
Henry K. Kitson
Preceded by
Percival H. H. Thompson
First Naval Member of the Australian Naval Board
7 May, 1926 – Aug, 1929
Succeeded by
William M. Kerr

Footnotes

  1. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  2. Which Davies?
  3. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  4. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  5. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  6. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  7. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  8. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  9. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  10. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  11. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  12. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  13. "Appointments for the Naval Manoeuvres." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 09, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37442.
  14. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  15. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  16. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  17. The Monthly Navy List. (March, 1911). p. 385.
  18. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  19. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  20. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 401j.
  21. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  22. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  23. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  24. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  25. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  26. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  27. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  28. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  29. The Navy List. (September, 1919). p. 925a.
  30. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  31. The Navy List. (November, 1920). p. 743.
  32. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  33. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  34. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  35. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.
  36. Napier Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 296.