William Munro Kerr
Royal Navy Vice-Admiral (1876–1959)
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Vice-Admiral Sir William Munro Kerr, KBE, CB (4 March 1876 – 26 October 1959) was a Royal Navy officer who served as First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff from 1929 to 1931.
Sir William Munro Kerr | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1876 Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland |
| Died | 26 October 1959 (aged 83) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1892–1936 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands | Reserve Fleet (1932–34) Chief of the Australian Naval Staff (1929–31) 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet (1928–29) HMS Eagle (1925–26) HMS Ajax (1924–25) HMS Calliope (1924_ Rosyth Dockyard (1921–23) HMS Caradoc (1917–19) HMS Centurion (1916) |
| Conflicts | First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Naval service
Kerr joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1892.[1] In November 1901, Kerr—by then a lieutenant—was lent to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich for the compass course.[2] In May the following year he was appointed lieutenant in charge of navigation at HMS Hermione, serving at the Mediterranean station.[3] After serving in the First World War, he was appointed Captain of the Dockyard and King's Harbour Master at Rosyth in 1921 and Rear Admiral of the 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1928.[4] He went on to be First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff in 1929[5] and, having been promoted to vice admiral in 1931,[1] he became Commander-in-Chief of the Reserve Fleet later that year.[6] He retired in 1936.[7]