Philip Watson
Encyclopedia
Sir Philip Alexander Watson KBE
, LVO
(7 October 1919 - 8 December 2009) was an officer of the Royal Navy
, rising to the rank of vice-admiral.
Philip Alexander Watson was born on 7 October 1919 at 93 Limestone Road, Belfast
, Northern Ireland
to Alexander Henry St Croix Watson (1885-1963) and Gladys Margaret Watson (née Payne). He was baptised on 30 January 1920 and confirmed at St Albans Abbey on 6 December 1934 . Educated at St. Albans School
he trained as an electrical engineer with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
and joined the Admiralty Compass Observatory, Slough, serving until 10 March 1940 when he was commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve
as an Electrical Sub Lieutenant. He served in on the Arctic convoys from the United Kingdom
to the northern ports of the Soviet Union
—Arkhangelsk
and Murmansk
; in (Assistant Torpedo Officer) and was at the German surrender at Trondheim
when serving in as Torpedo Officer. He was then transferred to the Royal Navy as a lieutenant, and served as Naval Assistant to Admiral Bateson.
Watson served with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, with the Battle-class
destroyer
s and , before moving to the Admiralty
in London
. A spell at as assistant to the training commander followed, with Watson being promoted to lieutenant-commander. He spent two years with the radio section at Malta
Dockyard, before becoming electrical officer in . Watson was promoted to commander in 1955, and returned to working at the Admiralty.
On 11 December 1948 he married Jennifer Beatrice Tanner and they have two daughters and a son.
Watson spent some time as Electrical Officer on board HM Yacht Britannia
, for which he was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order
. He followed this with a move to Chatham Dockyard
where from 1959 he was in command of the electrical shops and weapon section. He went to sea again aboard in 1962, where he served as Weapon Electrical Engineer Officer. He was promoted to captain and joined the Ship Department at Bath where he became involved in the designs of submarines, aircraft carriers and commando ships. In 1967 he became captain of HMS Collingwood, but by 1969 he was back at Bath as Deputy Director of Engineering (Electrical) in the Ship Department.
He was promoted to Rear-Admiral and Director-General Weapons (Naval), and later promoted again to Vice-Admiral. He was made a Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1974 and retired from the navy in March 1977. He became chairman of Marconi Radar Systems
between 1981 and 1985.
Before his retirement to Oxfordshire he was a member of the Army and Navy Club
and the Bath and County Club. He remained active in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
and the City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers.
He died on 8 December 2009.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, LVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(7 October 1919 - 8 December 2009) was an officer of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, rising to the rank of vice-admiral.
Philip Alexander Watson was born on 7 October 1919 at 93 Limestone Road, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to Alexander Henry St Croix Watson (1885-1963) and Gladys Margaret Watson (née Payne). He was baptised on 30 January 1920 and confirmed at St Albans Abbey on 6 December 1934 . Educated at St. Albans School
St Albans School (Hertfordshire)
St Albans School is an independent school in the city of St Albans in Hertfordshire, in the East of England. Entry before Sixth Form is for boys only, and co-educational thereafter. Founded in 948 by Wulsin , St Albans School is not only the oldest school in Hertfordshire but also one of the oldest...
he trained as an electrical engineer with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
and joined the Admiralty Compass Observatory, Slough, serving until 10 March 1940 when he was commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
as an Electrical Sub Lieutenant. He served in on the Arctic convoys from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to the northern ports of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
—Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
and Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
; in (Assistant Torpedo Officer) and was at the German surrender at Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
when serving in as Torpedo Officer. He was then transferred to the Royal Navy as a lieutenant, and served as Naval Assistant to Admiral Bateson.
Watson served with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, with the Battle-class
Battle class destroyer
The Battle class were a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Built in three groups, the first group were ordered under the 1942 naval estimates. A modified second and third group, together with two ships of an extended design were planned for the 1943 and 1944...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and , before moving to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. A spell at as assistant to the training commander followed, with Watson being promoted to lieutenant-commander. He spent two years with the radio section at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
Dockyard, before becoming electrical officer in . Watson was promoted to commander in 1955, and returned to working at the Admiralty.
On 11 December 1948 he married Jennifer Beatrice Tanner and they have two daughters and a son.
Watson spent some time as Electrical Officer on board HM Yacht Britannia
HMY Britannia
Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the 83rd such vessel since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. She is the second Royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the famous racing cutter built for The Prince of Wales...
, for which he was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
. He followed this with a move to Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
where from 1959 he was in command of the electrical shops and weapon section. He went to sea again aboard in 1962, where he served as Weapon Electrical Engineer Officer. He was promoted to captain and joined the Ship Department at Bath where he became involved in the designs of submarines, aircraft carriers and commando ships. In 1967 he became captain of HMS Collingwood, but by 1969 he was back at Bath as Deputy Director of Engineering (Electrical) in the Ship Department.
He was promoted to Rear-Admiral and Director-General Weapons (Naval), and later promoted again to Vice-Admiral. He was made a Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1974 and retired from the navy in March 1977. He became chairman of Marconi Radar Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
between 1981 and 1985.
Before his retirement to Oxfordshire he was a member of the Army and Navy Club
Army and Navy Club
The Army and Navy Club in London is a gentlemen's club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.-Foundation and membership:...
and the Bath and County Club. He remained active in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
and the City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers.
He died on 8 December 2009.