Willie Dickson Kilroy

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Temporary Lieutenant R.N.V.R. Willie Dickson Kilroy, O.B.E. (24 January, 1876 – ) was an inventor and officer in the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. His service records at the archives span 1894-1922.

Life & Career

Kilroy served briefly in the Royal Navy as a Probationary Assistant Engineer with seniority of 1 July 1899. He was allowed to resign his appointment on 15 May, 1900.[1]

The Royal Navy would adopt several of his diverse contributions, including his Kilroy Danger Signal, Kilroy Stoking Indicator and the Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter. He was commissioned a temporary Lieutenant R.N.V.R. on 16 November 1915,[2] as an Assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance[3] in the Naval Ordnance Department from the same date.[4]

Captain Dreyer would write of him on 21 June 1918, "Mechanical & Electrical Engineering (Fire Control Design) Very clever & able, has made consiuderable pecuniary sacrifice in order to serve his country during the war. Nonetheless, he was refused for a requested promotion in November 1917.[5]

Kilroy was demobilised on 31 December, 1918. Captain Cooke noted that he was "very able & a good designer." He was awarded an O.B.E. (mil) for valuable services in connection with the design & improvements of fire control instruments, gazetted 1 April, 1919.[6]

See Also

Service Records

 

Footnotes

  1. Kilroy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/130/268. f. 266.
  2. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 520u.
  3. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 539.
  4. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 396p.
  5. Kilroy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 337/120/452. f. 228.
  6. Kilroy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 337/120/452. f. 228.