13 Facts About David Luce

David Luce fought in the Second World War as a submarine commander before taking part in the Dieppe Raid and becoming Chief Staff Officer to the Naval Forces for the Normandy landings.

David Luce served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in the mid-1960s and in that role resigned from the Royal Navy along with Navy Minister Christopher Mayhew in March 1966 in protest over the decision by the Labour Secretary of State for Defence, Denis Healey, to cancel the CVA-01 aircraft carrier programme.

David Luce took part in the Dieppe Raid in August 1942 for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 2 October 1942 and was appointed Chief Staff Officer to the Naval Forces for the Normandy landings in June 1944 as a result of which he won a Bar to his DSO on 14 November 1944.

David Luce went on to be Commanding officer of Royal Naval Air Station Ford in September 1946 and became deputy director of Plans at the Admiralty in December 1948.

David Luce became Director of the Royal Naval Staff College in March 1953 and was appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp to the Queen on 7 July 1954 before moving on to be Naval Secretary in August 1954.

David Luce was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1963 Birthday Honours.

David Luce became First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1963.

David Luce resigned from the Royal Navy along with Navy Minister Christopher Mayhew on 15 March 1966 in protest over the decision by the Labour Secretary of State for Defence, Denis Healey, to cancel the CVA-01 aircraft carrier programme.

In retirement, David Luce became President of the Royal Naval Association.

David Luce was appointed an Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John on 3 January 1969.

David Luce died, less than five years after his resignation from the Navy, at Lansdown Nursing Home in Bath, Somerset on 6 January 1971.

In 1935, David Luce married Mary Adelaide Norah Whitham; they had two sons.

William's son, Richard David Luce, Baron David Luce, was a Conservative MP, Governor of Gibraltar and Lord Chamberlain.