William Wordsworth Fisher

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Admiral SIR William Wordsworth Fisher, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Royal Navy (26 March, 1875 – 24 June, 1937) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War.

Early Life & Career

Sub-Lieutenant Fisher was appointed to the first class protected cruiser Hawke on 13 January, 1896.[1]

As Lieutenant (G) in King Edward VII, as enterprising naval persons were fairly required to do, Fisher exploited a gap in the rules of a pre-war prize firing to have all his light gun crews use the same single, slavishly perfected and tweaked gun mount. It sported a super-sized telescope and the results were astounding: crew after crew was hitting 19 out of 20 rounds on a 10-foot square target at over a thousand yards. The winning performance inspired rule changes for the coming year's competition.[2]

He qualified as an Interpreter in French at some point.

Fisher was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1906[3] and to Captain on 1 July, 1912.[4]

He was appointed to command the battleship St. Vincent on 10 December, 1912[5] as Flag Captain. He remained in her until 10 May, 1917, though he had ceased being Flag Captain on 24 October, 1915.[6]

Great War

He was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January, 1918.[7]

He commanded St. Vincent at the Battle of Jutland, operating with the Grand Fleet's First Battle Squadron. He reported firing 96 seemingly accurate shells by director without suffering damage.

Post-War

Fisher was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 November, 1922, vice Green.[8]

He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 15 January, 1928, vice Crooke.[9]

On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 3 June, 1929.[10]

Assessment

Marder wrote of Fisher:

But for his death when C.-in-C., Portsmouth, he would probably have succeeded Chatfield and become, no doubt, one of the great First Sea Lords in British naval history.[11]

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir William Fisher" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 26 June, 1937. Issue 47721, col C, pg. 16.
  • "Ecclesiastical News" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 27 September, 1946. Issue 50567, col B, pg. 13.
  • "Obituary" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 2 February, 1962. Issue 56235, col E, pg. 14.
  • James, Admiral Sir William Milbourne, Royal Navy (1943). Admiral Sir William Fisher. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd.
  • Marder, Arthur Jacob (1965). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904-1919: The War Years : To the Eve of Jutland.. Volume II. London: Oxford University Press.
  • Usborne, C. V. (1935). Blast and Counter-Blast. London: John Murray.

Papers

Service Records

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
The Hon. Herbert E. Holmes-à-Court
Captain of H.M.S. St. Vincent
10 Dec, 1912[12] – 10 May, 1917[13]
Succeeded by
Edward Reeves
Preceded by
Alexander L. Duff
Director of the Anti-Submarine Division
31 May, 1917[14] – 2 Jan, 1919[15]
Succeeded by
Forster D. Arnold-Forster
Preceded by
Eustace La T. Leatham
Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke
2 Jan, 1919[16] – 26 Aug, 1919[17]
Succeeded by
Richard A. S. Hill
Preceded by
1BS Reformed in Mediterranean
Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron
14 Oct, 1924[18]
Succeeded by
Cecil M. Staveley
Preceded by
1BS Reformed in Mediterranean
Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron
14 Oct, 1924[19] – 7 Sep, 1925[20]
Succeeded by
Cecil M. Staveley
Preceded by
Alan G. Hotham
Director of Naval Intelligence
17 Aug, 1926[21] – 1 Jan, 1927[22]
Succeeded by
Barry E. Domvile
Preceded by
John D. Kelly
Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
30 Apr, 1927[23] – 2 Apr, 1928[24]
Succeeded by
Vernon Haggard
Preceded by
Sir Frederick L. Field
Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
1 May, 1928[25] – 30 Jun, 1930[26]
Succeeded by
Sir Frederic C. Dreyer
Preceded by
W. A. Howard Kelly
Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron
12 Sep, 1930[27] – 12 Apr, 1932[28]
Succeeded by
Charles M. Forbes
Preceded by
Sir Alfred E. M. Chatfield
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station
30 Sep, 1932[29] – 20 Mar, 1936[30]
Succeeded by
Sir Alfred D. P. R. Pound
Preceded by
Sir John D. Kelly
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Station
13 Jul, 1936[31] – Jun, 1937
Succeeded by
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cork and Orrery

Footnotes

  1. "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. Tuesday, 14 January, 1896 Issue 34786, col A, p. 10.
  2. Usborne. p. 4.
  3. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 45.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 28623. p. 4748. 2 July, 1912.
  5. The Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 379.
  6. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 45.
  7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 80. 1 January, 1918.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 32764. p. 7873. 7 November, 1922.
  9. The London Gazette: no. 33349. p. 440. 20 January, 1928.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 33501. p. 3667. 3 June, 1929.
  11. Marder. From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow. II. p. 16.
  12. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 397u.
  13. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 45.
  14. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 122.
  15. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 45.
  16. The Navy List. (August, 1919). p. 821.
  17. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 45.
  18. "Naval and Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 14 October, 1924. Issue 43782, col E, p. 6.
  19. "Naval and Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 14 October, 1924. Issue 43782, col E, p. 6.
  20. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  21. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 124.
  22. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  23. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  24. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  25. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  26. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  27. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  28. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  29. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  30. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.
  31. Fisher Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 231.