William Andrewes Admiral Sir William Gerrard " Bill " Andrewes KBE CB DSO ( 3 November 1899 – 21 November 1974 ) was a Royal Navy officer who served in World War I and World War II , commanded the British and Commonwealth Naval Forces and United Nations Task Force 95 during the Korean War , and went on to command of the America and West Indies Squadron and served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander , Atlantic . Biography . Education and early career . William Andrewes was the second son of the Rev . Canon Gerrard Thomas Andrewes , Canon of Winchester , and Helena Louisa Kirby . He was educated at Twyford School , Winchester , before entering the Royal Naval College at Osborne in September 1912 , moving to Dartmouth in 1914 . Andrewes was assigned to the battleship in August 1915 , seeing action at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 . From February 1917 he attended the torpedo control officer ' s course , and was assigned to the destroyer for service in the Baltic Sea in February 1918 . He received his commission as a sub - lieutenant on 15 May 1918 , and promotion to lieutenant on 15 October 1919 . Andrewes attended various short training courses in 1920 before serving aboard the destroyer " Versatile " into 1921 . Between September 1921 and June 1923 he attended the torpedo officer ' s " long course " in torpedoes , mines , and electrical engineering at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich and at the torpedo school at HMS " Vernon " at Portsmouth . He was then an instructor at HMS " Vernon " until December 1924 . Andrewes served as Torpedo Officer aboard the submarine depot ship " Ambrose " of the 4th Submarine Flotilla on the China Station until February 1927 . He returned to " Vernon " as an instructor until August 1929 , receiving promotion to lieutenant - commander on 15 October 1927 . From 6 January 1930 Andrewes served as Torpedo Officer on the battleship in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Fleet s , then from 30 April 1931 aboard the heavy cruiser as Torpedo Officer , as well as Fleet Torpedo Officer for the 5th Cruiser Squadron , on the China Station . On 31 December 1932 he was promoted to commander . Andrewes spent almost all of the year 1934 attending a course at the Royal Navy Staff College at Greenwich , before serving as the Fleet Torpedo Officer in the 2nd Battle Squadron , Home Fleet , aboard the battleship from January 1935 to January 1937 . He then spent six weeks in charge , as Executive Officer , of as that battleship was being extensively refitted at Portsmouth . After a tactical course at Portsmouth , he served as Executive Officer of the battleship in the Home Fleet from 26 July 1937 until receiving promotion to the rank of captain on 30 June 1938 . World War II . In 1939 he served on the Joint Planning Staff of the Committee of Imperial Defence , then as Commanding Officer of the seaplane carrier into 1940 , before a short period as Chief Staff Officer at Dover . On 8 April 1940 he was appointed Assistant Director of the Plans Division at the Admiralty , not returning to sea duty until 19 September 1942 when he took command of the cruiser for service in the Atlantic and Mediterranean , taking part in " Operation Husky " , the Allied invasion of Sicily , in July – August 1943 , ( for which he received a Mention in Despatches ) and in " Operation Avalanche " , the landings at Salerno , in September 1943 ( for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ) . On 28 February 1944 he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commander - in - Chief , Portsmouth for administration and duties in preparation for the Normandy landings , with the rank of commodore , 2nd class . From November 1944 until July 1945 he served as Chief Staff Officer to Vice - Admiral James William Rivett - Carnac , who as Vice - Admiral ( Q ) was responsible for the entire logistical operation to support the British Pacific Fleet . Post - war and Korea . Andrewes was appointed Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier in August 1945 , but a knee injury prevented him from assuming the post , and instead he commanded the carrier from December 1945 into 1947 . He then served as Chief of Staff to Commander - in - Chief Portsmouth , and was appointed Naval Aide - de - camp to the King in July . In December 1947 he was appointed Senior Naval Member of the Directing Staff of the Imperial Defence College , and was promoted to rear admiral on 8 January 1948 . He was promoted to vice admiral on 1 December 1950 , and on the 17th was made commander of the 5th Cruiser Squadron and Second - in - Command , Far Eastern Fleet , flying his flag in the light cruiser . After the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 he commanded British and Commonwealth Naval Forces , with the carrier as his flagship . He had two aircraft carriers available at any one time which he worked in eighteen day cycles . and then United Nations Task Force 95 ( comprising all Blockade and Escort ships in Korean waters ) in 1951 . From 15 October 1951 he served as Commander - in - Chief of the America and West Indies Station , and also as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander , Atlantic , ( DSACLANT ) from 1952 , until 1953 . Promoted to admiral on 24 November 1954 he served as President of the Royal Naval College , Greenwich , until 1956 . Admiral Andrewes retired on 10 January 1957 , and became a director of the shipbuilders John I . Thornycroft & Company having become a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers in May 1956 . He died on 21 November 1974 . Personal life . He married Frances Audrey Welchman in 1927 . They had one son and one daughter . Awards . Admiral Andrewes was the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions , as well as campaign medal s for World War I , World War II , and the Korean War .