Desmond Cassidi

Sir Desmond Cassidi
Born	26 January 1925 (1925-01-26) (age 86)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1938 - 1985
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	820 Naval Air Squadron HMS Whitby HMS Undaunted HMS Ark Royal Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Ships Naval Home Command
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Admiral Sir (Arthur) Desmond Cassidi GCB (born 26 January 1925) was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.

Naval career

Cassidi joined the Royal Navy in 1938.^[1] He served in HMS Cumberland and HMS Hardy with the Iceland Patrols and Russian Convoys during World War II and also took part in the Normandy landings.^[1]

He became Commanding Officer of 820 Naval Air Squadron in 1954 and of HMS Whitby in 1960.^[1] He went on to be Assistant Director of Naval Plans (Warfare) in the Ministry of Defence in 1964 and Commanding Officer of HMS Undaunted in 1967.^[1] In 1970 he returned to the Ministry of Defence as the Director of Naval Plans.^[1]

He became Commanding Officer of HMS Ark Royal in 1972 and Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers and Amphibious Ships in 1974.^[2] He went on to be Director-General Naval Manpower and Training in 1975 and Flag Officer Naval Air Command in 1978.^[2] He then became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1979 and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command in 1982.^[2] He retired in 1985.^[1]

He lives near Langport in Somerset.^[3]

Family

In 1950 he married Sheelagh Marie Scott; they had one son and two daughters.^[2] Following the death of his first wife, he married Deborah Marion Pollock in 1982.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Direct Art
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Debrett's People of Today 1994
3. ^ Admiral backs D-Day Anniversary Call Yeovil News, 4 July 2003

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Gordon Tait	Second Sea Lord 1979–1982	Succeeded by Sir Simon Cassels
Preceded by Sir James Eberle	Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command 1983–1984	Succeeded by Sir Peter Stanford

Persondata
Name	Cassidi, Desmond
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	26 January 1925
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death