Vice Admiral Sir Peveril Barton Reiby Wallop William-Powlett, (5 March 1898 – 10 November 1985) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station from 1952 to 1954.

Naval career

William-Powlett attended

Cordwalles School St Piran's is a prep school located on Gringer Hill in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The school was known as Cordwalles School until 1919 and has been co-educational since the 1990s. History The origin of St Piran's was in 1805 at a small sc ...

. He joined the Royal Navy as 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 ...

in 1914 and served in the First World War, specialising in signals.Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
/ref> A keen sportsman, he played

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for England in 1922.ESPN Scrum
/ref> He saw service with the New Zealand Division from 1931 to 1936 and then commanded the

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

training ship in 1939. In 1935, William-Powlett was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

. William-Powlett served in the Second World War as Director of Manning at the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

and then commanded the

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

, which was sunk during the Battle of Crete in 1941. He was appointed Chief of Staff of

Force H Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940, to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany. The force occupied an odd place within the ...

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in 1941 and then commanded from 1942. He became Captain of the Fleet in the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

in 1944. After the war, William-Powlett commanded the

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and then became Naval Secretary in 1948. He went on to be Flag Officer (Destroyers) in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

in 1950 and Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic in 1952. He retired in 1954. In retirement William-Powlett served as Governor of Southern Rhodesia from 1954 until 1959.

Family

In 1923, William-Powlett married Helen Constance Crombie; they had three daughters.Unit Histories
/ref> Following the death of his first wife he married Barbara Patience William-Powlett, widow of his brother, in 1966. William-Powlett's second daughter, Helen, married Henry Bruce of Salloch, and is the mother of the royal commentator

Alastair Bruce of Crionaich Major-General Alastair Andrew Bernard Reibey Bruce (born 25 June 1960) is a journalist and television correspondent, and a senior British Army reservist and officer of arms of the Royal Household. He commanded the TA Media Operations Group ...

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:William-Powlett, Peveril 1898 births 1985 deaths Military personnel from Monmouthshire Royal Navy vice admirals Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order English rugby union players England international rugby union players High Sheriffs of Devon Rugby union players from Abergavenny Rugby union props