William Staveley (Royal Navy officer)

First Sea Lord

and Chief of Naval Staff in the late 1980s. In that role he fought hard for a fleet large enough to meet NATO commitments.

Early life

Born the son of Admiral

First World War.^[1]

Naval career

The destroyer HMS *Cavalier* in which Staveley was serving when he observed the hydrogen bomb tests in the late 1950s

He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1942.^[1] Promoted to midshipman on 1 September 1946, he was posted to the cruiser HMS Ajax and then the destroyer HMS Zephyr.^[1] He was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 January 1948^[2] and then served in the cruisers HMS Nigeria and HMS Bermuda.^[1] Promoted to lieutenant on 1 September 1950,^[3] he became Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet in 1952, an instructor at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1954 and then served in HM Yacht Britannia from 1957.^[1] He served on the destroyer HMS Cavalier from November 1957, and having been promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 September 1958,^[4] he was present at the hydrogen bomb tests on Kiritimati.^[1]

Staveley attended the

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1981 Birthday Honours.^[9]

Staveley was promoted to full

First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff on 2 August 1985.^[12] In that role he fought hard for a fleet large enough to meet NATO commitments.^[8] He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on his retirement in May 1989.^[8]

Later career

In retirement Staveley became Chairman of the Royal London Hospital and Associated Community Services NHS Trust, Chairman of the

British School of Osteopathy and Chairman of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority as well as Chairman of the Chatham Historic Dockyard.^[13] He also became President of the Kent Branch of the Royal British Legion, vice-president of the Falkland Islands Association, a Member of the Court of the University of Kent and a governor of Sutton Valence School.^[13] He was also a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman of the Shipwrights' Company and a younger brother of Trinity House.^[13]

Staveley became a

Deputy Lieutenant of Kent on 14 February 1992.^[14] He died of a heart attack at Sevenoaks in Kent on 13 October 1997.^[8]

Family

In 1954 Staveley married Bettina Kirstine Shuter; they had a son and a daughter.[15]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Heathcote, p. 234
^ "No. 38751". The London Gazette. 1 November 1949. p. 5204.
^ "No. 39035". The London Gazette. 6 October 1950. p. 4969.
^ "No. 41557". The London Gazette. 25 November 1958. p. 7215.
^ "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 71.
^ "No. 47117". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 January 1977. p. 358.
^ "No. 48155". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 April 1980. p. 5611.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Heathcote, p. 235
^ "No. 48639". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1981. p. 2.
^ "No. 49150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 October 1982. p. 13920.
^ "No. 49768". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1984. p. 2.
^ "No. 50238". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 August 1985. p. 11765.
^
ISBN 1 870520 19 X

^ "No. 52835". The London Gazette. 14 February 1992. p. 2584.
^ A.B. Sainsbury (16 October 1997). "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Staveley". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2012.

Sources

Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword Ltd.
ISBN 0-85052-835-6
.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Anthony Morton	Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1980–1982	Succeeded by Sir Peter Stanford
Preceded by Sir John Fieldhouse	Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1982–1985	Succeeded by Sir Nicholas Hunt
Preceded by Sir John Fieldhouse	First Sea Lord 1985–1989	Succeeded by Sir Julian Oswald

[heath234-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Heathcote, p. 234

[2] "No. 38751". The London Gazette. 1 November 1949. p. 5204.

[3] "No. 39035". The London Gazette. 6 October 1950. p. 4969.

[4] "No. 41557". The London Gazette. 25 November 1958. p. 7215.

[5] "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 71.

[6] "No. 47117". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 January 1977. p. 358.

[7] "No. 48155". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 April 1980. p. 5611.

[heath235-8] Heathcote, p. 235

[9] "No. 48639". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1981. p. 2.

[10] "No. 49150". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 October 1982. p. 13920.

[11] "No. 49768". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1984. p. 2.

[12] "No. 50238". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 August 1985. p. 11765.

[debrett-13] 
ISBN 1 870520 19 X

[14] "No. 52835". The London Gazette. 14 February 1992. p. 2584.

[inde-15] A.B. Sainsbury (16 October 1997). "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Staveley". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2012.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[9]

[12]

[8]

[13]

[14]

First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones Sir Antony Radakin Sir Ben Key