Vice Admiral Sir Robert Dymock Watson (5 April 1904 – 3 February 1988) was a
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
officer who went on to be
Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America Station.
Naval career
Watson joined the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
in 1918.
[Sir Robert Dymock Watson]
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives He served in
World War II
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
as Assistant Director of Plans on the Joint Planning Staff from 1944.
[ After the War he was appointed to the ]1st Destroyer Flotilla
The 1st Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the First Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from 1909 to 1940 and again from 1947 to 1951.
History
Pre-war history
In May 1906, the First Destroyer Flotilla was at ...
in 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 ...
and then, in 1950, became Director of Plans at the Admiralty.[ He went on to be ]Commanding Officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latit ...
of the aircraft carrier in 1953 and Flag Officer, Flotillas in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1954.[ He was made Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport in 1955 and Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America Station in 1958.][ He made an official visit to ]Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to:
* Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
* Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada
* Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States
* Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia
* Ladysmith, Virginia, United States
* Ladysmith Island, Queensl ...
before retiring in 1961.[
He lived at Trebinshwyn in ]Brecon
Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...
.
Personal life
His grandson is the actor and comedian Humphrey Ker, who based his 2011 Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
show ''Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!'' on Watson's exploits in the Second World War.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Dymock
1904 births
1988 deaths
Royal Navy officers of World War II
Military personnel from Surrey
Royal Navy vice admirals
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Lords of the Admiralty