Sir

William Pillar
Born(1924-02-24)24 February 1924
Died18 March 1999(1999-03-18) (aged 75)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1942–1984
RankAdmiral
Commands heldRoyal College of Defence Studies
Royal Naval Engineering College
Battles/warsSecond World War
Korean War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Spouse(s)Ursula Ransley

Admiral Sir William Thomas Pillar, GBE, KCB, FIMechE[1](24 February 1924 – 18 March 1999) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Chief of Naval Support and a member of the Admiralty.

Educated at Blundell's School and latterly at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Pillar joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1942 during the Second World War.[2] He was promoted to sub-lieutenant (Engineering Branch) on 1 June 1944.[3] An acting lieutenant at the war's end, he was promoted to substantive lieutenant (E) on 3 June 1947 (seniority 1 October 1945).[4] Following service in the Korean War he was promoted to lieutenant-commander (E) on 1 October 1953,[5] to commander (E) on 31 December 1958[6] and to captain (E) on 31 December 1966.[7]

Pillar was appointed Assistant to the Director-General, Ships in 1970 and Commander of the Royal Naval Engineering College in 1973.[2] Attaining flag rank as a rear admiral on 7 January 1976,[1] he was made Port Admiral at Rosyth and then Assistant Chief of Fleet Support.[2] Promoted to vice admiral on 2 April 1979,[8] he became the first Royal Navy engineer officer to be Chief of Fleet Support. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1980 Birthday Honours,[9] and was promoted to admiral on 5 January 1982.[10] In 1982, he became Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies.[2] Appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 1983 Birthday Honours,[11] he retired on 6 March 1984.[12]

On retirement from the Royal Navy Pillar became Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Jersey.[2] He was also Commodore and later Life Vice-Commodore of the Royal Navy Sailing Association,[13] a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron,[2] President of the Royal Navy Modern Pentathlon Association and a Knight of St. John.

Family

In 1946 Pillar married Ursula Ransley; they had three sons and a daughter.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "No. 46786". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 January 1976. p. 202.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Obituary: Admiral Sir William Pillar The Independent, 13 April 1999
  3. ↑ "No. 37480". The London Gazette. 22 February 1946. p. 1089.
  4. ↑ "No. 37984". The London Gazette. 13 June 1947. p. 2673.
  5. ↑ "No. 40052". The London Gazette. 29 December 1953. p. 7034.
  6. ↑ "No. 41618". The London Gazette. 27 January 1959. p. 653.
  7. ↑ "No. 44218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 January 1967. p. 71.
  8. ↑ "No. 47809". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 April 1979. p. 4433.
  9. ↑ "No. 48212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1980. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "No. 48879". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 February 1982. p. 1401.
  11. ↑ "No. 49375". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1983. p. 5.
  12. ↑ "No. 49664". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1984. p. 3249.
  13. ↑ Obituary: Admiral Sir William Pillar The Times, 6 April 1999
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