Desmond Dreyer
Sir Desmond Dreyer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 April 1910 Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Cross |
Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
from 1965 to 1967.
Born the second son of Admiral
Admiralty.[1] He distinguished himself as Gunnery Officer on HMS Ajax at the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, winning the Distinguished Service Cross for his role in this action.[2] He served on HMS Coventry during the Norwegian campaign and from 1941 to 1943 on the battleships King George V and Duke of York.[3]
From July 1953 to April 1955, Dreyer commanded the
Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet in 1962: following the Malayan Emergency he co-ordinated Commonwealth naval forces in their successful resistance to Indonesian incursions into the newly formed Malaysia.[4]
Dreyer was promoted to full
Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1965.[1] He was also Principal Naval Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 1965 to 1968.[1] His last appointment was as Chief Advisor (Personnel and Logistics) to Denis Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence in 1967: he retired in 1968.[1]
Later life
In retirement, Dreyer became a member of the Prices and Incomes Board and the Armed Forces' Pay Review Board.
Family
In 1934, Dreyer married Elisabeth Chilton: they went on to have two sons and a daughter.[2] In 1959, following his first wife's death, he married Majorie Whiteley.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Sir Desmond Parry Dreyer Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ a b c d e f Obituary: Sir Desmond Dreyer Daily Telegraph, 21 May 2003
- ^ "Neptune's Scrapbook: Rear Admiral D. P. Dreyer". Navy News. February 1961. p. 5. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ Obituary: Sir Desmond Dreyer The Guardian, 21 May 2003
- ^ "No. 43708". The London Gazette. 9 July 1965. p. 6520.
- ^ Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889) Archived 31 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine.