Algernon Willis

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Usborne Willis KCB DSO (1889-1976) was a British Royal Navy officer

Willis joined the Royal Navy in 1904 as a cadet and went on to serve in World War I and then actions against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic from 1918 to 1919.

In the Second World War he was appointed as Rear-Admiral in 1940 where he participated in various Fleet operations in the Mediterranean, including the Battle of Calabria in July 1940, and the attack on Italian Fleet at Taranto in October 1940.

In 1941 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief South Atlantic with acting rank of Vice-Admiral and was responsible for convoys passing through to the Middle East and for operations against enemy vessels. Then in February 1942 he transferred to HMS Resolution as Vice-Admiral commanding 3rd Battle Squadron and Second in command Eastern Fleet under Admiral Sir James Somerville. This Fleet was assigned the duty of protecting communications in the Indian Ocean.

In March 1943 he was Flag Officer commanding Force H, the force which covered North African Operations and then the invasion of Italy. In October 1943 he became Commander-in-Chief Levant after the Armistice with Italy when Force H dispersed. As Commander-in-Chief Levant he conducted the Dodecanese Campaign of Autumn 1943 and attended the Cairo Conference.

He returned to the UK in 1944 and became Second Sea Lord on the Board of Admiralty and held this appointment until February 1946 when he was Appointed Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean and Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth in 1948. He retired in 1950. It was widely belived he was not made First Sea Lord because his wife was Prime Minister Clement Atlee's sister-in-law and Atlee felt such an appointent could look like nepotisem.

He spent his last years in Petersfield in Hampshire.

References

* [http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FWLLS Janus.lib.cam]