Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

William Donald Aelian King, DSO &

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

(23 June 1910 – 21 September 2012) was a British naval officer, yachtsman and author. He was the oldest participant in the first solo non-stop, around-the-world

yacht race Yacht racing is a Sailing (sport), sailing sport involving sailing yachts and larger sailboats, as distinguished from dinghy racing, which involves open boats. It is composed of multiple yachts, in direct competition, racing around a course marke ...

, the ''Sunday Times'' Golden Globe Race, and the only person to command a British submarine on both the first and last days of World War II. Brought up by his mother and grandmother, King went to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He was first assigned to the battleship , and later became commanding officer of the submarine . He commanded three separate RN submarines in World War II, and was promoted to commander and awarded seven medals during the war. King not only survived World War II, but succeeded in a singlehanded

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circ ...

in 1973 on his third attempt. During the latter journey, he managed to reach port despite a collision with a large sea creature southwest of Australia.

Family background and childhood

William Donald Aelian King was born to William Albert de Courcy King and Georgina Marie MacKenzie in 1910. King's grandfather, William King, was Chair of Mineralogy and Geology at

Queen's College, Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

. He was appointed when the College first opened in 1849.Sharrock, David. 2006
"A medal at 96? I was not brave or clever", TimesOnline Interview with King about his Arctic Medal and war stories; retrieved 7 January 2008.
"William King (1809–1886)", History of NUI Galway, the Science Faculty and associated scientists; retrieved 7 January 2008. Grandfather King was the first to argue that

Neanderthals Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...

were a species separate from modern humans. King's father, William Albert de Courcy King, was born in 1875. He married Georgina Marie, daughter of a "Mr. D. F. MacKenzie, of Collingwood Grange,

Camberley Camberley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately south-west of Central London. The town is in the far west of the county, close to the borders of Hampshire and Berkshire. Once part of Windsor Forest, Cambe ...

, Surrey" in June 1908.FreeBMD
"Marriages Jun 1908: MacKenzie, Georgina Marie". freebmd.org.uk; retrieved 7 January 2008.
"The Leslie Family: Hungary to Ireland (12th century – 2003)"; retrieved 7 January 2008.Warnock, Gabrielle and Jeff W. O'Connell. 2000
''Face to Face.'' Trident Press Ltd., pg. 249; retrieved 7 January 2008. De Courcy King attended

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

and then the School of Military Engineering, Chatham.Finan & Co. 2003
"St. Lucia & Africa: the albums of Lt.-Col. William Albert de Courcy King, D.S.O., R.E." Item 179, Spring Sale, Saturday 5 April. Fine Art Consultants, Auctioneers, and Valuers. Retrieved on 7 January 2008. He received his commission as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

in 1894. Prior to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, his postings included

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

in the 1890s, where the Engineers constructed gun emplacements and fortified coal stations, and South Africa, where the Engineers built blockhouses (designed by Major S. R. Rice, RE) during the

Anglo Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

.Royal Engineers Museum
"Field (Combat) Engineers, Significant Dates and Events, 1899–1902"; retrieved 7 January 2008. De Courcy King was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

(DSO) in 1916 while a major, during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, serving later as

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

with the

36th (Ulster) Division The 36th (Ulster) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Lord Kitchener's New Army, formed in September 1914. Originally called the ''Ulster Division'', it was made up of mainly members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, wh ...

in Belgium. He was killed on 27 May 1917 at the age of 42, and lies buried at Dranoutre Military Cemetery in Belgium.Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
"Casualty Details: King, William Albert de Courcey" (sic); retrieved 7 January 2008. As a result of his father's death, Bill King was brought up by his mother and grandmother. "The strange journey to Oranmore Castle", ''Galway Advertiser'', 26 August 2004; retrieved 7 January 2008. His MacKenzie grandmother was a formidable woman who learned to ski at the age of 75 and still sailed in her eighties.

Early naval career

After preparatory school, at the age of twelve, King was sent to the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

. In the 2006 documentary about the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race; '' Deep Water'', King said that he had been a boxer and a "champion long-distance runner" in his youth. From December 1927 to April 1930, King was posted to the battleship , which served in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

.HMS ''Resolution''
battleships-cruisers.co.uk; retrieved 7 January 2008. During this time he became a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

. From June 1932 to January 1934, he was posted to the submarine , which served near China.speedie.blogspot.com. 2006
"In the Company of a True Hero—Commander Bill King". (Blogger recounts a 2006 encounter with King, posts photographs.); retrieved 7 January 2008.
"Allied Warships: HMS ''Orpheus'' (N46). Submarine of the O class"; retrieved 7 January 2008. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1932. In April 1935, King was appointed

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

of the service vessel , formerly the Polish sailing vessel ''Iskra'', used by the Royal Navy at Gibraltar to supply the 8th Submarine Squadron."HMS ''Pigmy''"
uboat.net; accessed 26 January 2018. After seven months, he was transferred to , then to , before being sent to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

for the

Submarine Command Course The Submarine Command Course (SMCC), previously known as the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course (COQC), and informally known as The Perisher is a training course for naval officers preparing to take command of a submarine. Created by the Royal ...

at . Having successfully qualified to command a submarine, a four-month stint aboard the submarine depot ship followed, before , in May 1939, King travelled to Malta to take command of .battleships-cruisers.co.uk.
"HMS ''Titania'', June 1938"; retrieved 7 January 2008 (see image).
"King, William Donald Aelian: Royal Navy (RN) Officers, 1939–1945", ''World War II Unit Histories and Officers''; retrieved 7 January 2008.

World War II

During World War II, King served in three submarines of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

: ''Snapper'', , and . He patrolled the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Far East.Biblio.com
''Dive & Attack'' (rev. ed.) by King, Cdr. W. Description. Retrieved on 7 January 2008. At the outbreak of the war, King and ''Snapper'' were sent to patrol the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

. King was commanding officer on ''Snapper'' from 16 April 1939 to April 1940. On 3 December 1939, ''Snapper'' sustained a direct hit from a British aircraft while returning to

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...

after a patrol, but without taking damage."Allied Warships: HMS ''Snapper'' (N 39). Submarine of the S class"
uboat.net; retrieved 7 January 2008. Between December 1939 and July 1940, ''Snapper'' sank six ships, mainly in the

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. The ...

Strait. These include the tanker ''Moonsund'', the

merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...

''Florida'', the

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s ''H. M. Behrens'' and ''Carsten Janssen'', and the armed trawlers ''Portland'' and ''Cygnus''. ''Snapper'' was later lost under command of Lieutenant Geoffrey Vernon Prowse, either in a minefield or sunk by German

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

s.Kindell, Do
"1–28 February 1941: Snapper, submarine, lost" -- '' Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, 1922–present''
naval-history.net; retrieved 7 January 2008. HMS Telemachus

In 1941, King served on the T-class submarine ''Trusty'' in the Mediterranean Sea. On 4 December 1941 ''Trusty'' unsuccessfully launched torpedoes against a boat which may have been the Italian torpedo boat ''Orsa''.uboat.net "Allied Warships: HMS ''Trusty'' (N 45). Submarine of the T class"
retrieved 7 January 2008. From 21 July 1943 to August 1945, King was commanding officer of the T-class submarine ''Telemachus''. ''Telemachus'' dropped off a

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

unit in western Malaya in October 1944.HMS Telemachus.
"British Submarines of World War Two." Retrieved on 12 February 2008. Operating from a joint British-Dutch base at

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

, ''Telemachus'' sank the Japanese Kadai-class submarine ''I-166'' in the

Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...

on 17 July 1944.Hackett, Bob & Sander Kingsepp. 2001.
"Sensuikan! HIJMS Submarine I-166: Tabular Record of Movement." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.
"Allied Warships: HMS Telemachus (P 321). Submarine of the T class." Retrieved on 7 January 2008. ''Telemachus'' tracked ''I-166'' for 30 minutes, then fired a spread of six torpedoes. One torpedo hit, and sank the Japanese boat with 89 lives lost; five men on bridge watch survived to be rescued by the Japanese. During the war, King was promoted to commander, and awarded seven medals, including the DSO on 9 May 1940 for "daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty's Submarines against the enemy", and the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

on 6 September 1940 "for bravery and determination during arduous and successful patrols in H.M. Submarines" both whilst in command of ''Snapper''. A

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

was added to his DSO on 16 January 1945 "For outstanding courage, skill and determination in one of H.M. Submarines in successful patrols in Far Eastern waters" (specifically the sinking of ''I-166'').British Medal Forum.
"Local Hero". British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, South African and all Commonwealth Medals. britishmedalforum.com. Retrieved on 7 January 2008. In 2006, he received an eighth medal, the Arctic Emblem. King ended his Royal Navy career as

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of the submarine depot ship , an appointment he held from 1 September 1945 to April 1946. His formal retirement came on 9 May 1948.

Post-war life and marriage

On 1 January 1949, King married Anita Leslie, a divorceé, whose full name was Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie Rodzianko 1914–1984). She was the eldest child of Sir John Randolph Shane Leslie, 3rd Baronet (aka

Shane Leslie Sir John Randolph Leslie, 3rd Baronet (Irish: ''Sir Seaghán Leslaigh''; 24 September 1885 – 14 August 1971), commonly known as Sir Shane Leslie, was an Irish-born diplomat and writer. He was a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill. In 1908 ...

), and his wife Marjorie Ide, the

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

-born daughter of the US ambassador to Spain."Marjorie Ide Weds Under Canopy"
''New York Times'', 12 June 1912; retrieved 7 January 2008. Bill and Anita probably met in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

in 1943, where King served for 5 months as executive officer of the submarine base at

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

. She was on a skiing trip after doing duty in Africa in the

Motor Transport Corps The Motor Transport Corps (M.T.C.) was formed out of the United States Army Quartermaster Corps on 15 August 1918, by General Order No. 75. Men needed to staff this new corps were recruited from the skilled tradesmen working for automotive man ...

in 1940–42, although a letter mentions her being in Beirut in 1941–42.Georgetown University Libraries.
"Special Collections: Sir Shane Leslie Papers" Box: 31 Fold: 1 Alec Waugh. Letter(s) dated 28 August 1949; retrieved 7 January 2008. Leslie-King then became an ambulance driver in the French Army from 1944 to 1945. For the latter, she was awarded the ''

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

'' in 1945 by General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

. As Anita Leslie, she wrote over a dozen books, including ''Love in a Nutshell'' (1952), ''The Remarkable Mr. Jerome: The Life and Times of Leonard Jerome, Sir Winston Churchill's American Grandfather'' (1954). In 1974 she wrote the biography of

Francis Chichester Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE (17 September 1901 – 26 August 1972) was a British businessman, pioneering aviator and solo sailor. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the worl ...

, the first person to sail around the world single-handedly with only one stop. The Kings had two children, Richard Tarka Bourke King (b. 1949), and Leonie Rose King (b. 1951)."Commander William Donald Aelian King"
thepeerage.com; retrieved 7 January 2008. After the war, King took up farming and was an avid fox hunter, as was his wife. In 1946, the Kings bought

Oranmore Castle Oranmore Castle is a castle in Oranmore, County Galway, in Ireland. History Oranmore Castle was most likely built some time around the 15th century, possibly on top of an older fortified house. The Clanricardes, a notable family from Galway, us ...

, a 15th century

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

keep built on

Galway Bay Galway Bay (Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galwa ...

Ireland for £200. Other sources report that Anita Leslie-King was given the castle by her mother, who had bought it in 1946.tourismresources.ie
"A Royal Castle! Oranmore Castle, near Galway. Havens & Hideaways"; retrieved 7 January 2008. For a while, the Kings lived in a hunting lodge outside Oranmore village, designed by Bill, and built while he and Anita went on a "world sailing cruise."Finlan, Michael

''The Irish Times''; retrieved 8 January 2008. To help combat his wife's

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

, King developed an organic farm and garden to feed his family. Both Anita Leslie's mother and grandmother had suffered asthma. Video of a visit with Commander Bill King at Oranmore; retrieved 15 February 2008.

Solo circumnavigation

By 1967, King was intent on sailing around the world by himself. He had a boat built for this purpose at Souter's yard at Cowes, Isle of Wight.Knox-Johnston, Robin
''A World of My Own'' (1969, pg. 18)
W.W. Norton & Company; retrieved 7 January 2008.Paine, Lincoln P
''Ships of Discovery and Exploration'' (2000, pg. 57)
Houghton Mifflin Books; retrieved 7 January 2008. King's boat, the two-masted ''Galway Blazer II'', a cold-molded

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

, was specially designed for him by

Angus Primrose Angus Primrose (missing at sea, 1980) was a designer and naval architect, whose best known designs for around the world races included Sir Francis Chichester's ''Gypsy Moth IV'' (with John Illingworth) and Galway Blazer II (1969) of Commander ...

. It is not certain whether the boat was named after ''The Galway Blazers'', a local

fox hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...

club in Galway, Ireland, which dates to 1839., "Sailors Take Warning!" (Review of ''A Voyage for Madmen''), ''New York Times on the Web''; retrieved 7 January 2008.St Gabriel's National School, Ballinasloe
, ''The Galway Blazers''. Fionn Films. ("Children talk with a local hunt master and follow the Galway Blazers on a hunt"); retrieved 7 January 2008 (video file). Based on boats he had seen in China, the schooner had a junk rig (a sail stiffened by battens). In this regard ''Galway Blazer II'' was similar to ''

Jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

'', the junk-rigged Folkboat used by former Royal Marine Colonel

Herbert Hasler Herbert George "Blondie" Hasler (27 February 1914 – 5 May 1987) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines. In December 1942, Hasler led a small commando raid in World War II against Axis shipping in Bordeaux. He was responsible for many of ...

in the first single-handed cross-Atlantic race (

OSTAR The Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race (STAR) is an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic. When inaugurated in 1960, it was the first single-handed ocean yacht race; it is run from Plymouth in England to Newport, Rhode Island in ...

).Elliott, Ray

"Millennium Single Handed Trans Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008.Royal Western Yacht Club
"OSTAR-the Original Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008. King, Hasler and Primrose had "teamed up" to design the boat, which was displayed "at the

London Boat Show The London Boat Show was an event held in London from 1955 to 2018, organised by British Marine. First held at Olympia, it was later moved to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, and finally the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. The show's cancellation wa ...

in January 1968". King's intention to sail around the world was overtaken by the institution in March 1968 of the

Sunday Times Golden Globe Race The ''Sunday Times'' Golden Globe Race was a non-stop, single-handed sailing, single-handed, circumnavigation, round-the-world yacht racing, yacht race, held in 1968–1969, and was the first round-the-world yacht race. The race was controversi ...

. Aged 58, King became the oldest participant in what was the first organised round the world solo yacht race. In ''Deep Water'', King explained that he joined the race as a means of recovering psychologically from fifteen years of service in submarines. This, he said, had left him "a nervous wreck". He had planned to sail around the world before he heard of the race, which "sort of caught up with me." An aunt's legacy provided him with the means to finance the boat. King was sponsored by the ''Daily Express'' and ''Sunday Express'' newspapers.Holm, Donald

''The Circumnavigators: Small Boat Voyagers of Modern Times'' (1974, pg. 248), New York: Prentice-Hall; retrieved 7 January 2008. One of the shortcomings of the boat was that it had neither guard rails or shrouds to hold on to. King solved this problem with a steel wire that stretched from bow to

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

, to which he clipped a harness. His method was then copied by fellow racers Loïck Fougeron and

Bernard Moitessier Bernard Moitessier (April 10, 1925 – June 16, 1994) was a French sailor, most notable for his participation in the 1968 ''Sunday Times'' Golden Globe Race, the first non-stop, singlehanded, round the world yacht race. With the fastest circumna ...

.Moitessier, Bernard

''The Long Way'' as translated by William Rodarmor (1995, pg. 123), Sheridan House (publisher); retrieved 7 January 2008. King started the race on 24 August 1968. During the race, King lived on raw food, such as dried fruit stirred into almond paste and green sprouts that he grew on board. He read through the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

, the

Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...

, and

Edwin Arnold Sir Edwin Arnold KCIE CSI (10 June 183224 March 1904) was an English poet and journalist, who is most known for his work ''The Light of Asia''.The Light of Asia ''The Light of Asia'', or ''The Great Renunciation'' (''Mahâbhinishkramana''), is a book by Sir Edwin Arnold. The first edition of the book was published in London in July 1879. In the form of a narrative poem, the book endeavours to describ ...

'',Arnold, Edward (1880)
''The Light of Asia, Or, The Great Renunciation''; retrieved 7 January 2008. as well as ''"all the best novels, such as

Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

"''. He said that he did not get depressed during the journey, because of the beauty surrounding him. "You are...alone with God...there's no opportunity to sin". King lost radio contact during the race. On 31 October, ''Galway Blazer II'' capsized in waves northeast off

Gough Island upright=1.3, Map of Gough island Gough Island ( ), also known historically as Gonçalo Álvares, is a rugged volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a dependency of Tristan da Cunha and part of the British overseas territory of Sain ...

while King rested, breaking both masts."''Suhaili''-The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race" (1968–69)
retrieved 7 January 2008. King had to be towed to

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, South Africa. In 1969, King again tried and failed to circumnavigate in ''Galway Blazer II''.Henderson, Richard. 1992.
''Singlehanded Sailing: The Experiences and Techniques of the Lone Voyagers'' (pg. 42), McGraw-Hill Professional; retrieved 7 January 2008. In 1970, he was ready for another attempt, again using ''Galway Blazer II''. Ill-health and hull damage forced him to put ashore at Australia. After departing on 12 December 1971, a large sea creature (a whale or shark) damaged his boat about southwest of

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

. ''"Only his skill and heroic efforts were able to keep the vessel afloat until jury repairs could be made."'' King was below deck when he heard a shattering sound and saw the hull below the water line bulge inward and splinter. He rushed upstairs and heeled the boat so that the hole was lifted out of the water. He had to hang over the side and submerge himself to carry out emergency repairs with material that included thirteen ropes, sticky tape, collision covers, sheet copper, and sponge rubber. Then he had to fix the inside of the hull as well. After three days of work, he was able to return to Fremantle, "barely able to limp into port". The 1970 journey was eventually successful, with King completing his global circumnavigation on 23 May 1973.Ryan, Des

"Knox-Johnston and Blyth's Madmen-Where are they?" (2007), sail-world.com; retrieved 7 January 2008. In 1975, the

Cruising Club of America The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is an international organization of cruisers whose objects are to promote cruising and racing by amateurs, to encourage the development of suitable types of cruising craft, to stimulate interest in seamanship, navi ...

awarded King the Blue Water Medal in recognition of his feat.The Cruising Club of America
, "The Blue Water Medal Awards, 1923–2004"; retrieved 8 January 2008. That same year, ''Galway Blazer II'' was sold to Peter Crowther, landlord of a Devon pub.Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder

''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 26), Sheridan House Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008. Crowther wrote a book about his experiences with the boat, which was lost on 24 June 1996 during the tenth Singlehanded Transatlantic Race from

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, England, to

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

in the USA.Crowther, Peter. 2003. "Single-handed Sailing: Twenty Years in", ''Galway Blazer''. Thomas Reed Publications; retrieved 7 January 2008.bluegreenpictures.com ''Galway Blazer II''
; retrieved 7 January 2008.Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder

''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 21), Sheridan House, Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008.

Later life

In September 2007, King and his daughter Leonie, still lived at

. His life's experiences continued to attract media attention, from film to music to art installation. He was filmed for two documentaries about the Golden Globe Race; the 1960s BBC short ''Golden Globe – Lone Sailor Round the World Race'' and 2006's ''Deep Water''. His war experiences still fascinate documentary film makers. King was interviewed for two planned productions, a 24 minute episode entitled "To Honour and Peace" for the proposed series entitled ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'',Periscope Productions
"To Honour and Peace." Episode from proposed ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'' series; retrieved 15 February 2008. and for ''The Stick & The Stars: The Life & Times of Commander Bill King''. Most recent attention arises from King's interaction with Akira Tsurukame and Katja Boonstra-Blom – the subject of print media articles, an exhibition, and video interviews. Tsurukame, son of the chief engineer who perished with ''I-166'', in 2004 sought out King. King, Tsurukame, and Katja Boonstra, whose father was killed when ''I-166'' sank the Dutch submarine HNLMS K VXI, ''K XVI'', together planted a tree at Oranmore Castle to honour the fathers of the latter two.O'Gorman, Ronni

"Tree of peace planted as former enemies embrace beside Galway Bay", ''Galway Advertiser'', 24 August 2004. (In 2004 King meets the son of a Japanese chief engineer, whose submarine (''I-166'') was sunk on 17 July 1944 by HMS ''Telemachus'' under King's command); retrieved 7 January 2008. The local paper, ''The Galway Advertiser'', dubbed their threeway meeting at Oranmore Castle a "reconciliation". Subsequently Akira Tsurukame released video material of his interviews with Bill King on the internet. Two installations in July 2006 at the Project 06 art exhibition in Galway referenced King. ''Response to Japanese Peace and Reconciliation'' was arranged in Swan House, and featured art-works by his daughter Leonie King and grand-daughter Heather Finn. The ''Lost at Sea'' installation was a collaboration between Galway-based ''Cane 141'', who set stories told by Bill King to electronic music, and visual artist Roisin Coyle. The latter installation has since been exhibited in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, and in May 2007 at Grace Exhibition Space in New York City.Caine141.
''Lost at Sea Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.Grace Exhibition Space
''Roisin Mary Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.
Grace Exhibition Space, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, May 2007; retrieved 15 February 2008. In 2009, Bill King's great nephew Luke Leslie produced the short film ''King of the Waves'', which dramatised King's solo circumnavigation and encounter with the great white shark. It also included interviews with King himself. It was screened before King and his family in Oranmore, County Galway on his ninety-ninth birthday shortly before premiering at the 2009 Galway, Cork and Kerry film festivals. King died in September 2012. At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving World War II submarine commander.

Published works

* 1958: ''The Stick and the Stars.'' (Hutchinson). * 1969: ''Capsize.'' (Nautical Publishing * 1975: ''Adventure in Depth.''(Putnam Publishing). * 1983: ''Dive and Attack.'' Revises and updates ''The Stick and the Stars'', describes author's experiences during World War II. (W. Kimber/ Hutchinson) * 1989: ''The Wheeling Stars : A Guide for Lone Sailors''. Boston, London: Faber & Faber. * 1997: ''Kamikaze: the Wind of God'' (Minerva Press)

References

External links

King of the Waves (Short Film)
*

A proposed documentary on Bill King. * Videos of Bill King during visit with Akira Tsurukama and Katja Boonstra-Blom, in Japanese and English. Opens video files directly. {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Bill 1910 births 2012 deaths English centenarians Men centenarians Single-handed sailors Circumnavigators of the globe Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Navy submarine commanders People from County Galway Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Blue Water Medal recipients