Admiral Sir William Donough O'Brien, (13 November 1916 – 19 February 2016) was a senior officer in 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 ...
who served as
Commander-in-Chief of the
Western Fleet
The Red Sea Fleet Command or officially Western Fleet (WF), also called ''" West Coast Fleet ",'' is a regional naval fleet and one of the two main formations of the Saudi Arabian Navy, with headquarters at Royal Naval Base at Jeddah, Western Pr ...
from 1970 to 1971.
Naval career
Educated at the
Royal Naval College Dartmouth, O'Brien was
commissioned into 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 ...
in 1930.
[Debrett's People of Today 1994] He served in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, during which he served with the naval escort of the fateful
PQ 17 convoy.
In the early 1960s, O'Brien served as Director of Naval Plans at the
Ministry of Defence under
Lord Louis Mountbatten
Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...
. He was then appointed
Naval Secretary
The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy officer who advises the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on naval officer appointing (and General Officers).
Their counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary. The Royal Air Force equi ...
in 1964. He was appointed
Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers
Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1970 to 1979. However, its antecedents date to 1931.
A Flag Officer with specific responsibilities for command of aircraft carriers within the Roy ...
in 1966,
Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet in 1967, and Commander-in-Chief of the
Western Fleet
The Red Sea Fleet Command or officially Western Fleet (WF), also called ''" West Coast Fleet ",'' is a regional naval fleet and one of the two main formations of the Saudi Arabian Navy, with headquarters at Royal Naval Base at Jeddah, Western Pr ...
in 1970.
[ He retired in 1971.][
]
Later life
In retirement, O'Brien became Chairman of the King George's Fund for Sailors.[ In 1975 he was Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889). He became Chairman of the Kennet and Avon Canal and, after its re-opening by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990, he retired from this post. He also held the posts of ]Rear-Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
and then Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once operational) office which was vested in th ...
. He died after a brief illness on 19 February 2016, aged 99.
Family
In 1943, O'Brien married Rita Micallef: they went on to have one son and two daughters.[
]
References
External links
Imperial War Museum Interview
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Obrien, William
1916 births
2016 deaths
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
Royal Navy admirals
Royal Navy officers of World War II
Military personnel from Kent