William Wordsworth Fisher
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
As Template:LieutGRN in King Edward VII, as enterpising 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.[1]
Fisher was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 July, 1912.[2]
He was appointed to command the dreadnought St. Vincent on 10 December, 1912.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 15 January, 1928, vice Crooke.[6]
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.[7]
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.[8]
Footnotes
- ↑ Usborne. p. 4.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 28623. p. 4748. 2 July, 1912.
- ↑ Navy List (December, 1914). p. 379.
- ↑ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 80. 1 January, 1918.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 32764. p. 7873. 7 November, 1922.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 33349. p. 440. 20 January, 1928.
- ↑ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 33501. p. 3667. 3 June, 1929.
- ↑ Marder. From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow. II. p. 16.
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.
- Template:BibMarderFDSFII
- Template:BibUsborneBlast
Papers
- Papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum.
- Papers in the possession of Churchill College, Cambridge.
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/44.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Sir John Donald Kelly |
Fourth Sea Lord 1927 – 1928 |
Succeeded by Sir Vernon Haggard |
- 1875 births
- 1937 deaths
- Personalities
- Royal Navy Gunnery Officers
- Captains of H.M.S. St. Vincent (1908)
- Directors of the Anti-Submarine Division (Royal Navy)
- Captains of H.M.S. Iron Duke (1912)
- Directors of Naval Intelligence (Royal Navy)
- Deputy Chiefs of the Naval Staff
- Commanders-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet (Royal Navy)
- Commanders-in-Chief, Portsmouth
- Royal Navy Admirals
- Royal Navy Flag Officers
