William Archibald Howard Kelly

Admiral SIR William Archibald Howard Kelly, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., M.V.O., Royal Navy (6 September, 1873 – 14 September, 1952) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Kelly entered Britannia in January, 1886 after placing twenty-eighth in order of merit of the forty candidates for naval cadetship that were accepted for acceptance following a round of examinations in late November, 1885.

He was an interpreter in French, appointed to Hebe for two years, commencing in 1894.

On 21 March 1914, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Gloucester.

Kelly was appointed in command of the light cruiser Lowestoft on 25 September, 1917 as Commodore, Second Class, being advanced to Commodore, First Class on 31 January, 1918, serving in her to war's end.

Kelly supposedly said at a discussion, "I subscribe to the views of Lord St. Vincent, Lord Nelson, Lord Jellicoe, and Lord Beatty. get your bravery over young and before you command the British Fleet, which must not be deliberately exposed to the risks and chances of night action."

As a Rear-Admiral, on 15 May, 1925 he was appointed in command of the Second Cruiser Squadron, remaining there for a day past two years.

Kelly was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Military Division of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 1 January, 1931.

Bibliography

• "Adm. Sir Howard Kelly" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 15 September, 1952. Issue 54217, col D, p. 8.
• Kelly, Howard (1952). "The Old Diplomacy." The Naval Review. Vol. XL. No. 2. pp. 143-147.

Papers

• Papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/43.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Price V. Lewes	Captain of H.M.S. Nile 11 Jun, 1907 – 28 Dec, 1907	Succeeded by Pasfield V. Oliver
Preceded by Herbert A. Adam	Captain of H.M.S. Barham 19 Feb, 1910 – 3 Jan, 1911	Succeeded by Richard G. A. W. Stapleton-Cotton
Preceded by Edward H. F. Heaton-Ellis	Royal Navy Naval Attaché at Paris 16 Feb, 1911 – 16 Mar, 1914	Succeeded by Michael H. Hodges
Preceded by Eustace La T. Leatham	Captain of H.M.S. Gloucester 21 Mar, 1914 – after 15 Mar, 1916	Succeeded by William F. Blunt
Preceded by George N. Tomlin	Captain of H.M.S. Weymouth 25 Sep, 1917 – 17 Feb, 1918	Succeeded by The Hon. Bertram T. C. O. Freeman Mitford
Preceded by Algernon W. Heneage	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Adriatic Squadron 25 Sep, 1917 – 15 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Algernon Walker-Heneage-Vivian as Senior Naval Officer, British Adriatic Force	Commodore Commanding, British Adriatic Force 25 Sep, 1917 – 14 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Commodore 1st Class Commanding, Eighth Light Cruiser Squadron 25 Sep, 1917 – 14 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by Allan F. Everett as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Eighth Light Cruiser Squadron
Preceded by H. Ralph Crooke	Captain of H.M.S. Emperor of India Sep, 1921	Succeeded by Arthur K. Macrorie
Preceded by Arthur A. M. Duff	Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron 3 May, 1923 – 3 May, 1924	Succeeded by William H. D. Boyle
Preceded by Thomas D. Gilbert	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Second Cruiser Squadron 15 May, 1925 – 16 May, 1927	Succeeded by Frank Larken
Preceded by John D. Kelly	Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron 26 Apr, 1929 – 10 Oct, 1930	Succeeded by William W. Fisher
Preceded by Sir Arthur K. Waistell	Commander-in-Chief, China Station 13 Dec, 1930 – 11 Mar, 1933	Succeeded by Sir Frederic C. Dreyer