Vice Admiral Sir William Munro Kerr (4 March 1876 – 26 October 1959) was a

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 ...

officer who served as First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff from 1929 to 1931.

Naval service

Born the son of George Munro Kerr and his wife, Jessie Elizabeth Martin,The Scottish War Graves Project
/ref> Kerr joined the

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 1892.Royal Navy Flag Officers 1904–1945
/ref> In November 1901, Kerr—by then a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

—was lent to the

Royal Naval College, Greenwich The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equiv ...

for the compass course. In May the following year he was appointed lieutenant in charge of navigation at HMS ''Hermione'', serving at the

Mediterranean station 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 ...

. After serving in 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 ...

, he was appointed Captain of the Dockyard and King's Harbour Master at

Rosyth Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440. The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...

in 1921 and Rear Admiral of the 1st Battle Squadron of 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 1928. He went on to be First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff in 1929 and, having been promoted to vice admiral in 1931, he became Commander-in-Chief of the

Reserve Fleet A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; a ...

later that year. He retired in 1936.Whitaker's Almanack 1937 He died at

Lymington Lymington is a port town on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It faces Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, to which there is a car ferry service operated by Wightlink. It is within the ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

in October 1959.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, William Monro 1876 births 1959 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of World War I People from East Dunbartonshire