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 rega ...

Fischer Burges Watson, (3 September 1884 – 14 August 1960) 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 served as Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Division.

Naval career

Born the eldest son of Rear Admiral Burges Watson and Marie Thérèse Fischer and educated at Ashdown House and the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

, Watson joined the Royal Navy as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

in 1899.Unit Histories
/ref> In early June 1902 it was announced that he would be posted to , serving in the

Channel Squadron Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

, but the appointment was cancelled and later the same month he was posted as

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

on board the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers r ...

, about to become flagship on the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when th ...

. Watson served in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

as Commanding Officer of the destroyer from the start of the war, of from April 1917 and of from September 1918. After the War he briefly commanded before being appointed Assistant to Chief of Staff and Maintenance Captain at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

in 1920. He became Commanding Officer of the cruiser in 1924, Chief Staff Officer to the Rear Admiral-in-Charge Gibraltar in 1926 and Naval Assistant to the

Second Sea Lord The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer to currently serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establish ...

in 1928. He went on to be Commanding Officer of the battleship in 1930 and Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Division in 1932. He retired in 1935 but was recalled in 1939Admiral Back on Duty
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, 21 November 192 at the start of 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

during which he served on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief

Western Approaches The Western Approaches is an approximately rectangular area of the Atlantic Ocean lying immediately to the west of Ireland and parts of Great Britain. Its north and south boundaries are defined by the corresponding extremities of Britain. The c ...

before becoming Commodore of Ocean Convoys in October 1940, Senior Officer for Landing Ship Tank Flotilla 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 ...

in April 1943 and Senior Naval Officer at

Selsey Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about eight miles (12 km) south of Chichester in West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is boun ...

in May 1944. He last appointment was as Flag Officer-in-Charge at

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton- ...

in September 1944 before retiring again in 1945. In 1935, Watson was awarded the

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...

Family

In 1909 he married Sybil Mona Caroline Holden; they had three daughters. Following the death of his first wife he married Mabel Harford Underwood in 1931.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Fischer 1884 births 1960 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People educated at Ashdown House Royal Navy admirals of World War II Royal Navy personnel of World War I Military personnel from Somerset