William Jock Whitworth

Admiral SIR William Jock Whitworth, K.C.B., D.S.O. (29 June, 1884 – 25 October, 1973) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He would command a good many ships, culminating with a stint in charge of the battleship Rodney in 1936, before going on to become an Admiral in World War II.

Life & Career

Born in Chatham, the son of Major Whitworth, William Jock Whitworth tied for fifteenth among 62 successful candidates in examinations for entry to the Britannia intake term of September 1899, with 2412 marks.

Sub-Lieutenant Whitworth was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 67 on 12 January, 1906.

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 October, 1906.

Whitworth was appointed in command of the destroyer Cockatrice on 20 March, 1913. In October, 1913, damage to the destroyer was found not to be the result of "fair wear & tear."

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 October, 1914.

On 4 April, 1918, Whitworth was appointed in command of the destroyer Vidette.

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1918.

After being appointed in command of flotilla leader Anzac in February 1919 and then loaned to the Australian Navy in April, on 30 May 1919 Whitworth was afflicted with jaundice and was placed in Haslar hospital.

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1925.

In April (or November?), 1928, Whitworth sustained a compound fracture of his right little finger.

In 1929, a Court of Enquiry into the loss of paravane equipment from destroyers of the Second Destroyer Flotilla while carrying out trials over a minefield determined that the "whole operation was carried out badly and without sufficient forethought."

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral in July, 1936.

World War II

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 1 January, 1940.

Whitworth was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 1 January, 1943.

Whitworth was placed on the Retired List at his own request to facilitate the promotion of younger officers on 15 September, 1946.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by William Barlow	Captain of H.M. T.B. 66 12 Jan, 1906 – 22 Oct, 1906	Succeeded by Frederick P. Champion de Crespigny
Preceded by Arthur Henniker-Heaton	Captain of H.M.S. Bat 22 Feb, 1911 – 3 Feb, 1912	Succeeded by Roy Bacchus
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Cockatrice 20 Mar, 1913 – 7 Jun, 1916	Succeeded by George E. Matthews
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Orestes 7 Jun, 1916 – 4 Apr, 1918	Succeeded by Frederick E. Raw
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Vidette 4 Apr, 1918 – 11 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by Richard M. King
Preceded by Claud F. Allsup as Captain of H.M.S. Anzac	Captain of H.M.A.S. Anzac 11 Feb, 1919 – 22 Sep, 1919	Succeeded by Salisbury H. Simpson
Preceded by Cecil H. H. Sams	Captain of H.M.S. Veteran 3 Jan, 1922 – Apr, 1922	Succeeded by Charles F. Bush
Preceded by Montague R. Bernard	Captain of H.M.S. Verity Apr, 1922 – 30 May, 1922	Succeeded by Alban T. B. Curteis
Preceded by Philip G. Wodehouse	Captain of H.M.S. Wryneck 5 Jan, 1923 – 11 Jul, 1924	Succeeded by The Hon. George Fraser
Preceded by Hamilton C. Allen	Captain of H.M.S. Valkyrie 30 Jul, 1924 – 23 Nov, 1925	Succeeded by Geoffrey S. Holden
Preceded by Alfred E. Evans	In Command, Physical Training School, Portsmouth 7 Jan, 1927 – 17 Dec, 1928	Succeeded by Errol Manners
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	Captain of H.M.S. Stuart 19 Dec, 1928 – Feb, 1931	Succeeded by Alfred H. Taylor
Preceded by Montague G. B. Legge	Captain (D), Second Destroyer Flotilla 19 Dec, 1928 – Feb, 1931	Succeeded by Alfred H. Taylor
Preceded by Claude C. Dobson	Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm 17 Oct, 1931 – 7 Dec, 1931	Succeeded by Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton
Preceded by St. Aubyn B. Wake	Captain of the Fleet, Mediterranean Fleet Aug, 1933 – 1935	Succeeded by Richard J. R. Scott
Preceded by Geoffrey R. S. Watkins	Captain of H.M.S. Centurion 29 May, 1934 – 1 Jun, 1934	Succeeded by Montague G. B. Legge
Preceded by Wilfred N. Custance	Captain of H.M.S. Rodney 21 Feb, 1936 – 25 Jul, 1936	Succeeded by Ronald H. C. Hallifax
Preceded by Guy C. C. Royle	Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty 7 Jun, 1937	Succeeded by Stuart S. Bonham-Carter
Preceded by Geoffrey Layton	Rear-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron 1 Jun, 1939 – 11 Mar, 1940	Succeeded by Sir James F. Somerville
Preceded by Sir James F. Somerville	Rear-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron 10 Aug, 1940 – 7 May, 1941	Succeeded by Lancelot E. Holland as Vice-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron
Preceded by Sir Charles J. C. Little	Second Sea Lord 1 Jun, 1941 – 31 Dec, 1943	Succeeded by Sir Algernon U. Willis
Preceded by Sir Wilbraham T. R. Ford	Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth 1 Jun, 1944 – 17 Jul, 1946	Succeeded by Sir Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton as Flag Officer Commanding Scotland and Northern Ireland