23 Facts About Dudley Pound

Dudley Pound served in the First World War as a battleship commander, taking part in the Battle of Jutland with notable success, contributing to the sinking of the German cruiser Wiesbaden.

Dudley Pound served as First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, for the first four years of the Second World War.

Dudley Pound's health failed in 1943 and he resigned, dying shortly thereafter.

Dudley Pound was educated at Fonthill School in East Grinstead, Sussex.

Dudley Pound led her at the Battle of Jutland with notable success, contributing to the sinking of the German cruiser Wiesbaden.

Dudley Pound returned to the Admiralty in July 1917 to become assistant director of plans and then director of the operations division and was closely involved in the planning for the Zeebrugge Raid.

Dudley Pound planned the use of radio remote controlled vessels that were developed by the Navy's DCB.

Dudley Pound became a Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King on 1 January 1925.

Dudley Pound was promoted to rear admiral on 1 March 1926 and became Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in April 1927.

Dudley Pound went on to be Commander of the Battle Cruiser Squadron in May 1929 and, having been promoted to vice admiral on 15 May 1930, he became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in August 1932.

On 16 January 1933 Dudley Pound was promoted to full admiral he became Chief of Staff of the Mediterranean Fleet.

On 20 May 1937 Dudley Pound was appointed as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.

Dudley Pound became First Sea Lord in June 1939 and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 31 July 1939.

Dudley Pound's health was doubtful even then, but other experienced admirals were in even poorer health.

Dudley Pound became First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King in October 1941.

Dudley Pound has been described as a "cunning old badger" who had used guile to frustrate Churchill's Operation Catherine, a scheme to send a battle fleet into the Baltic, early in the war.

Critically, Dudley Pound was at the helm of the Royal Navy on the day of the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse on 10 December 1941 off the coast of Kuantan, Malaysia by the Japanese Air Force.

Dudley Pound refused a peerage but was appointed to the Order of Merit on 3 September 1943, four years after the outbreak of the war.

Dudley Pound suffered from hip degeneration, which kept him from sleeping, causing him to doze off at meetings.

In July 1943 Dudley Pound's wife died; by this time it was clear that his health was declining.

Dudley Pound had sustained one stroke and the second, during the Quebec Conference the following month, was paralytic, indicative of a fast developing brain tumour.

Dudley Pound died from the tumour at the Royal Masonic Hospital in London on 21 October 1943 and, after a funeral service in Westminster Abbey, followed by cremation at Golders Green Crematorium, his ashes were buried at sea in The Solent.

In 1908 Dudley Pound married Betty Whitehead; they had two sons and a daughter.