William Frederic Wake-Walker: Difference between revisions

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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Wilfred Neville Custance|Wilfred N. Custance]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Castor (1915)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Castor'']]'''<br>17 May, 1929<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref> &ndash; 18 Jul, 1930<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry John Haynes|Henry J. Haynes]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Wilfred Neville Custance|Wilfred N. Custance]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Castor (1915)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Castor'']]'''<br>17 May, 1929<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref> &ndash; 18 Jul, 1930<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry John Haynes|Henry J. Haynes]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Lachlan Donald Ian MacKinnon|Lachlan D. I. MacKinnon]]'''|'''[[Training and Staff Duties Division (Royal Navy)|Deputy Director of Training and Staff Duties]]'''<br>1 Aug, 1930<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/176.}} f. 187.</ref> &ndash; 22 Aug, 1932<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/176.}} f. 187.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederic Newton Attwood|Frederic N. Attwood]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Ernest John Spooner|Ernest J. Spooner]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Dragon (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Dragon'']]'''<br>8 Sep, 1932{{NLJul34|p. 233}} &ndash; Aug, 1935|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Ross Maxwell Johnson|Frederick R. M. Johnson]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Ernest John Spooner|Ernest J. Spooner]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Dragon (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Dragon'']]'''<br>8 Sep, 1932{{NLJul34|p. 233}} &ndash; Aug, 1935|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Ross Maxwell Johnson|Frederick R. M. Johnson]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Beveridge Mackenzie|William B. Mackenzie]]'''|'''[[Director of Torpedoes and Mining (Royal Navy)|Director of Torpedoes and Mining]]'''<br>29 Oct, 1935<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref> &ndash; 3 Jan, 1938<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Gervase Boswell Middleton|Gervase B. Middleton]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Beveridge Mackenzie|William B. Mackenzie]]'''|'''[[Director of Torpedoes and Mining (Royal Navy)|Director of Torpedoes and Mining]]'''<br>29 Oct, 1935<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref> &ndash; 3 Jan, 1938<ref>Wake-Walker Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/76.}} 187.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Gervase Boswell Middleton|Gervase B. Middleton]]'''}}

Revision as of 15:13, 22 November 2021

Admiral William Frederic Wake-Walker, C.B.E., Royal Navy (2 March, 1888 – 24 September, 1945) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 July, 1908.[1]

He qualified for torpedo duties on 25 August, 1911 with 1724 of 2000 marks awarded. On 28 June, 1912, he qualified as Lieutenant (T).[2]

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 July, 1916. On 11 July, he was appointed to Ramillies to be her torpedo officer upon commissioning. He'd remain her torpedo officer until 7 April, 1919.[3]

Post-War

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1920.[4]

In 1922 he was thanked for his zeal and contributions in developing the W torpedo and for creating a modified Torpedo Control Disc.[5] These were perhaps the Torpedo Control Disc Mark II** and Torpedo Control Disc Mark III* mentioned in the Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1922.[6]

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1927.[7]

Wake-Walker was appointed in command of the light cruiser Castor in May, 1929.

He worked on the "W" torpedo. His contributions were such that he was offered a "further and final award of 100 guineas" in the 1930s.[8]

On 13 August 1934, while Wake-Walker was captain of the light cruiser Dragon and navigating in the harbour of Montreal, the cruiser collided with a moored oil bunkering steamer, Maplebranch, sinking her. Wake-Walker was found liable for the accident in a civil hearing despite his protestations that he was manoeuvring to avoid a third vessel.[9]

He was appointed in command of the battleship Revenge in January, 1938.

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 January, 1939.[10]

World War II

Wake-Walker saw considerable service in World War II. He was mentioned in despatches on 20 December, 1940 in recognition of his services in the field in March/June during the evacuation from Dunkirk. He was awarded his C.B.E. for his role in destroying the battleship Bismarck as Rear Admiral Commanding First Cruiser Squadron.[11]

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 6 April, 1942.[12]

Wake-Walker was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 8 May, 1945.[13]

He died unexpectedly on 24 September, 1945 after having been appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean just earlier that month.[14]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Wilfred N. Custance 		Captain of H.M.S. Castor
17 May, 1929[15] – 18 Jul, 1930[16] 		Succeeded by
Henry J. Haynes
Preceded by
Lachlan D. I. MacKinnon 		Deputy Director of Training and Staff Duties
1 Aug, 1930[17] – 22 Aug, 1932[18] 		Succeeded by
Frederic N. Attwood
Preceded by
Ernest J. Spooner 		Captain of H.M.S. Dragon
8 Sep, 1932[19] – Aug, 1935 		Succeeded by
Frederick R. M. Johnson
Preceded by
William B. Mackenzie 		Director of Torpedoes and Mining
29 Oct, 1935[20] – 3 Jan, 1938[21] 		Succeeded by
Gervase B. Middleton
Preceded by
Roderick B. T. Miles 		Captain of H.M.S. Revenge
3 Jan, 1938[22] – 30 Dec, 1938[23] 		Succeeded by
Guy L'E. M. Sturges
Preceded by
Rosslyn E. Wemyss 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, Twelfth Cruiser Squadron
9 Sep, 1939[24] – 28 Oct, 1939[25] 		Succeeded by
Cecil H. J. Harcourt
Preceded by
John H. D. Cunningham
as Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Cruiser Squadron 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, First Cruiser Squadron
Jan, 1941 – Feb, 1942 		Succeeded by
Louis H. K. Hamilton
Preceded by
sir Bruce A. Fraser 		Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy
1942 – 1945 		Succeeded by
Sir Charles S. Daniel

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  2. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  3. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  4. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  5. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  6. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1922. p. 160.
  7. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  8. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  9. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  10. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  11. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  12. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  13. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  14. ↑ Wikipedia.
  15. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  16. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  17. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/176. f. 187.
  18. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/176. f. 187.
  19. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1934). p. 233.
  20. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  21. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  22. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  23. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  24. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  25. ↑ Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.

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