Mark Edward Frederic Kerr

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Admiral Mark Edward Frederic Kerr, C.B., M.V.O., Royal Navy, Retired (26 September, 1864 – 20 January, 1944) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War. In addition to his years of service at sea, he held the distinction of becoming the first British Flag Officer to become a qualified aeroplane pilot.

Life & Career

At the examination for Naval Cadetships, Kerr placed twentieth out of the successful batch of forty-six.[1]

Kerr was appointed Flag Lieutenant to Sir Anthony Hoskins in the battleship Victoria on 11 March, 1889.

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1898.[2]

On 1 January, 1903 he was promoted to the rank of Captain.[3]

Flag Rank

Kerr was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 16 May, 1913, vice Williams.[4]

Writing to the Greek Minister of Marine, Churchill described Kerr as "one of the most gifted and brilliant officers in our service, of whom we fully expect in the future that he will rise at an early age to the most important commands."[5]

On 3 January Kerr was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff on the Air Council.[6] He was given the temporary rank of Major-General in the Royal Air Force from that date.[7] On 1 April he was appointed an Area Commander.[8] On 26 April he was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Napier.[9] He was placed on the Retired List "at his own request" on 1 October, 1918.[10] Kerr was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 6 April, 1922.[11]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Naval Cadetships" (News). The Times. Saturday, 30 June, 1877. Issue 28982, col A, pg. 14.
  2. ↑ London Gazette: no. 26983. p. 3984. 1 July, 1898.
  3. ↑ London Gazette: no. 27512. p. 3. 2 January, 1903.
  4. ↑ London Gazette: no. 28720. p. 3591. 20 May, 1913.
  5. ↑ Letter of 2 June, 1913. Quoted in Lambert. Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution. p. 291.
  6. ↑ London Gazette: no. 30457. p. 273. 4 January, 1918.
  7. ↑ London Gazette: no. 30591. p. 3636. 12 February, 1918.
  8. ↑ London Gazette: no. 30668. p. 5364. 3 May, 1918.
  9. ↑ London Gazette: no. 30678. p. 5602. 10 May, 1918.
  10. ↑ London Gazette: no. 30942. p. 11860. 8 October, 1918.
  11. ↑ London Gazette: no. 32672. p. 3030. 14 April, 1922.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Mark Kerr" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 21 January, 1944. Issue 49759, col D, pg. 7.
  • Kerr, Admiral Sir Mark (1927). Land, Sea and Air: Reminiscences of Mark Kerr. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd..
  • Kerr, Admiral Sir Mark (1927). The Navy in My Time. London: Rich & Cowan, Limited.
  • Kerr, Admiral Sir Mark (1934). Prince Louis of Battenberg: Admiral of the Fleet. London: Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd..

Service Record

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