William Pillar

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.

Sir William Pillar
Born	(1924-02-24)24 February 1924
Died	18 March 1999(1999-03-18) (aged 75)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1942–1984
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Royal College of Defence Studies Royal Naval Engineering College
Battles/wars	Second World War Korean War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Spouse(s)	Ursula Ransley

Naval career

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 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 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. The London Gazette, 6 January 1976
2. Obituary: Admiral Sir William Pillar The Independent, 13 April 1999
3. The London Gazette, 22 February 1946
4. The London Gazette, 13 June 1947
5. The London Gazette, 29 December 1953
6. The London Gazette, 27 January 1959
7. The London Gazette, 3 January 1967
8. The London Gazette, 3 April 1979
9. The London Gazette, 14 June 1980
10. The London Gazette, 2 February 1982
11. The London Gazette, 11 June 1983
12. The London Gazette, 6 March 1984
13. Obituary: Admiral Sir William Pillar The Times, 6 April 1999

Military offices
Preceded by Sir James Eberle	Chief of Fleet Support 1979–1981	Succeeded by Sir James Kennon
Preceded by Sir Robert Freer	Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies 1982–1984	Succeeded by Sir Michael Gow
Government offices
Preceded by Sir Peter Whiteley	Lieutenant Governor of Jersey 1985–1990	Succeeded by Sir John Sutton