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|image= Bill new.jpg |image= Bill new.jpg
|caption= Bill King |caption= Bill King
|allegiance= {{flagicon|United Kingdom}}United Kingdom |allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= ] ] |branch= ]
|serviceyears= December 1927 – April 1946 |serviceyears= December 1927 – April 1946
|rank= ] |rank= ]
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*HMS ''Medway II'' (1943) *HMS ''Medway II'' (1943)
*{{HMS|Forth|A187|6}} (1945–46) *{{HMS|Forth|A187|6}} (1945–46)
|battles= ] (1939–40)<br/> ] (1941)<br/> ] |battles= ] (1939–40)<br /> ] (1941)<br /> ]
|awards= ] (1940)<br/> ] (1940)<br/> ] to the DSO (1945)<br/>Arctic Emblem (2006) <br/>Others: ], ], ], ], ]<ref name=Medals>Medal names were deduced by comparing a photograph of Commander King's medals with images in the booklet ''British Armed Forces Medals'', published by the Medals Office of the British Ministry of Defence, and should be regarded as approximations. Both images retrieved on 14 February 2008.</ref><br/>Civilian: ] (1975) |awards= ] (1940)<br /> ] (1940)<br /> ] to the DSO (1945)<br />Arctic Emblem (2006) <br />Others: ], ], ], ], ]<ref name=Medals>Medal names were deduced by comparing a photograph of Commander King's medals with images in the booklet ''British Armed Forces Medals'', published by the Medals Office of the British Ministry of Defence, and should be regarded as approximations. Both images retrieved on 14 February 2008.</ref><br />Civilian: ] (1975)
|relations= ] (spouse)<br/>] (grandfather) |relations= ] (spouse)<br />] (grandfather)
|laterwork= Farmer<br/>Solo circumnavigator (1969–73)<br/>Author (1958–97) |laterwork= Farmer<br />Solo circumnavigator (1969–73)<br />Author (1958–97)
}} }}


] '''William Donald Aelian King''', ] & ], ] (23 June 1910&nbsp;– 21 September 2012) was a British naval officer, yachtsman and author. He was the oldest participant in the first solo non-stop, around-the-world ], the ], and the only person to command a British submarine on both the first and last days of World War II.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/9561339/Commander-Bill-King.html|title=Obituaries:Commander Bill King|work=Daily Telegraph|date=23 September 2012|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> ] '''William Donald Aelian King''', ] & ], ] (23 June 1910&nbsp;– 21 September 2012) was a British naval officer, yachtsman and author. He was the oldest participant in the first solo non-stop, around-the-world ], the ], and the only person to command a British submarine on both the first and last days of World War II.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/9561339/Commander-Bill-King.html|title=Obituaries:Commander Bill King|work=Daily Telegraph|date=23 September 2012|access-date=25 September 2012}}</ref>
Brought up by his mother and grandmother, King went to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He was first assigned to the battleship {{HMS|Resolution|09|2}}, and later became commanding officer of the submarine {{HMS|Snapper|39S|2}}. He served on three separate vessels in World War II, and was promoted to commander and awarded seven medals during the war. King not only survived World War II, but succeeded in a singlehanded ] in 1973 on his third attempt. During the latter journey, he managed to reach port despite a collision with a large sea creature {{convert|400|mi|km}} southwest of Australia. Brought up by his mother and grandmother, King went to the ] in ]. He was first assigned to the battleship {{HMS|Resolution|09|2}}, and later became commanding officer of the submarine {{HMS|Snapper|39S|2}}. He commanded three separate RN submarines in World War II, and was promoted to commander and awarded seven medals during the war. King not only survived World War II, but succeeded in a singlehanded ] in 1973 on his third attempt. During the latter journey, he managed to reach port despite a collision with a large sea creature {{convert|400|mi|km}} southwest of Australia.


==Family background and childhood== ==Family background and childhood==
William Donald Aelian King was born to William Albert de Courcy King and Georgina Marie MacKenzie in 1910. King's grandfather, ], was Chair of Mineralogy and Geology at ]. He was appointed when the College first opened in 1849.<ref name=Emblem> "A medal at 96? I was not brave or clever", TimesOnline Interview with King about his Arctic Medal and war stories; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Grandfather>. "William King (1809–1886)", History of NUI Galway, the Science Faculty and associated scientists; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Grandfather King was the first to argue that ] were a species separate from modern humans.<ref name=Grandfather/> William Donald Aelian King was born to William Albert de Courcy King and Georgina Marie MacKenzie in 1910. King's great-grandfather, ], was Chair of Mineralogy and Geology at ]. He was appointed when the College first opened in 1849.<ref name=Emblem>{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} "A medal at 96? I was not brave or clever", TimesOnline Interview with King about his Arctic Medal and war stories; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Grandfather>. "William King (1809–1886)", History of NUI Galway, the Science Faculty and associated scientists; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> ] was the first to argue that ] were a species separate from modern humans.<ref name=Grandfather/>


King's father, William Albert de Courcy King, was born in 1875. He married Georgina Marie, daughter of a "Mr. D. F. MacKenzie, of Collingwood Grange, ], Surrey" in June 1908.<ref name=FreeBMDMac>{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} "Marriages Jun 1908: MacKenzie, Georgina Marie". freebmd.org.uk; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=GenForum> "The Leslie Family: Hungary to Ireland (12th century – 2003)"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Warnock>, ''Face to Face.'' Trident Press Ltd., pg. 249; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> King's father, William Albert de Courcy King, was born in 1875. He married Georgina Marie, daughter of a "Mr. D. F. MacKenzie, of Collingwood Grange, ], Surrey" in June 1908.<ref name=FreeBMDMac>{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} "Marriages Jun 1908: MacKenzie, Georgina Marie". freebmd.org.uk; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=GenForum> "The Leslie Family: Hungary to Ireland (12th century – 2003)"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Warnock>, ''Face to Face.'' Trident Press Ltd., pg. 249; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> De Courcy King attended ] and then the ], Chatham.<ref name=Auction> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705050827/http://www.finanandco.co.uk/April2003.htm|date=5 July 2007}} "St. Lucia & Africa: the albums of Lt.-Col. William Albert de Courcy King, D.S.O., R.E." Item 179, Spring Sale, Saturday 5 April. Fine Art Consultants, Auctioneers, and Valuers. Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> He received his commission as a ] in the ] in 1894.<ref name=GazLt>{{London Gazette|issue=26561|page=5795|date=16 October 1894}}</ref> Prior to ], his postings included ] in the 1890s, where the Engineers constructed gun emplacements and fortified coal stations, and South Africa, where the Engineers built blockhouses (designed by Major ], RE) during the ].<ref name=Auction/><ref name=Blockhouses> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530194449/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_engineer.htm|date=30 May 2010}} "Field (Combat) Engineers, Significant Dates and Events, 1899–1902"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> De Courcy King was awarded the ] (DSO) in 1916 while a major,<ref name=GazMajor>{{London Gazette|issue=29608|supp=y|pages=5566–5568|date=2 June 1916}}</ref> during the ], serving later as ] with the ] in Belgium.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} He was killed on 27 May 1917 at the age of 42, and lies buried at Dranoutre Military Cemetery in Belgium.<ref name=Casualty> "Casualty Details: King, William Albert de Courcey" (sic); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


⚫ As a result of his father's death, Bill King was brought up by his mother and grandmother.<ref name=Journey>{{cite web|url=http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/dws/story.tpl?inc=2004/08/26/galwaydiary/49969.html|title=Galway Diary. 2004|access-date=31 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120064544/http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/dws/story.tpl?inc=2004%2F08%2F26%2Fgalwaydiary%2F49969.html|archive-date=20 November 2007}} "The strange journey to Oranmore Castle", ''Galway Advertiser'', 26 August 2004; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> His MacKenzie grandmother was a formidable woman who learned to ski at the age of 75 and still sailed in her eighties.<ref name=Warnock/><ref name=Journey/>
De Courcy King attended ] and then the ], Chatham.<ref name=Auction> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705050827/http://www.finanandco.co.uk/April2003.htm|date=5 July 2007}} "St. Lucia & Africa: the albums of Lt.-Col. William Albert de Courcy King, D.S.O., R.E." Item 179, Spring Sale, Saturday 5 April. Fine Art Consultants, Auctioneers, and Valuers. Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> He received his commission as a ] in the ] in 1894.<ref name=GazLt>{{London Gazette|issue=26561|page=5795|date=16 October 1894}}</ref>

Prior to World War I, his postings included ] in the 1890s, where the Engineers constructed gun emplacements and fortified coal stations, and South Africa, where the Engineers built blockhouses (designed by Major ], RE) during the ].<ref name=Auction/><ref name=Blockhouses> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530194449/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/rem_his_engineer.htm|date=30 May 2010}} "Field (Combat) Engineers, Significant Dates and Events, 1899–1902"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>

De Courcy King was awarded the ] (DSO) in 1916 while a major.<ref name=GazMajor>{{London Gazette|issue=29608|supp=y|pages=5566–5568|date=2 June 1916}}</ref> During the First World War ] De Courcy King served with the ] in Belgium.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

De Courcy King was killed on 27 May 1917 at the age of 42, and lies buried at Dranoutre Military Cemetery in Belgium.<ref name=Casualty> "Casualty Details: King, William Albert de Courcey" (sic); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>

In April the Engineers had helped prepare for the ], primarily tunnelling and mining of enemy positions.<ref name=36th> "The 36th (Ulster) Division. Summary history of the division", ''The Long, Long Trail. The British Army in the Great War of 1914–1918''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Tunneling> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603052644/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/corpshistory/rem_corps_part14.htm|date=3 June 2010}} "1917 – Divisional field engineering activities." ''Corps History – Part 14: The Corps and the First World War (1914–18)''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>

⚫ As a result of his father's death, Bill King was brought up by his mother and grandmother.<ref name=Journey>{{cite web|url=http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/dws/story.tpl?inc=2004/08/26/galwaydiary/49969.html|title=Galway Diary. 2004|accessdate=31 August 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071120064544/http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie/dws/story.tpl?inc=2004%2F08%2F26%2Fgalwaydiary%2F49969.html|archivedate=20 November 2007}} "The strange journey to Oranmore Castle", ''Galway Advertiser'', 26 August 2004; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> His MacKenzie grandmother was a formidable woman who learned to ski at the age of 75 and still sailed in her eighties.<ref name=Warnock/><ref name=Journey/>


==Early naval career== ==Early naval career==
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During this time he became a ]. From June 1932 to January 1934, he was posted to the submarine {{HMS|Orpheus|N46|2}}, which served near China.<ref name=Blog>. "In the Company of a True Hero—Commander Bill King". (Blogger recounts a 2006 encounter with King, posts photographs.); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Orpheus>. "Allied Warships: HMS ''Orpheus'' (N46). Submarine of the O class"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant in 1932.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33890|page=7833|date=9 December 1932}}</ref> In April 1935, King was appointed ] of the service vessel {{HMS|Pigmy|1940|2}}, formerly the Polish sailing vessel ''Iskra'', used by the Royal Navy at Gibraltar to supply the ].<ref name=Pigmy>, uboat.net; accessed 26 January 2018.</ref> During this time he became a ]. From June 1932 to January 1934, he was posted to the submarine {{HMS|Orpheus|N46|2}}, which served near China.<ref name=Blog>. "In the Company of a True Hero—Commander Bill King". (Blogger recounts a 2006 encounter with King, posts photographs.); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Orpheus>. "Allied Warships: HMS ''Orpheus'' (N46). Submarine of the O class"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant in 1932.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33890|page=7833|date=9 December 1932}}</ref> In April 1935, King was appointed ] of the service vessel {{HMS|Pigmy|1940|2}}, formerly the Polish sailing vessel ''Iskra'', used by the Royal Navy at Gibraltar to supply the ].<ref name=Pigmy>, uboat.net; accessed 26 January 2018.</ref>


After seven months, he was transferred to {{HMS|Starfish|19S|2}}, then to {{HMS|Narwhal|N45|2}}, before being sent to ] for a ]s' course at {{HMS|Dolphin|shore establishment|6}}. A four-month stint aboard the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Titania||2}} followed, before King was appointed commanding officer of {{HMS|Snapper|39S|2}}.<ref name=Titania> "HMS ''Titania'', June 1938"; retrieved 7 January 2008 (see image).</ref><ref name=Record> "King, William Donald Aelian: Royal Navy (RN) Officers, 1939–1945", ''World War II Unit Histories and Officers''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> After seven months, he was transferred to {{HMS|Starfish|19S|2}}, then to {{HMS|Narwhal|N45|2}}, before being sent to ] for the ] at {{HMS|Dolphin|shore establishment|6}}. Having successfully qualified to command a submarine, a four-month stint aboard the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Titania||2}} followed, before , in May 1939, King travelled to Malta to take command of {{HMS|Snapper|39S|2}}.<ref name=Titania> "HMS ''Titania'', June 1938"; retrieved 7 January 2008 (see image).</ref><ref name=Record> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318044852/http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersK.html |date=18 March 2015 }} "King, William Donald Aelian: Royal Navy (RN) Officers, 1939–1945", ''World War II Unit Histories and Officers''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


==World War II== ==World War II==
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At the outbreak of the war, King and ''Snapper'' were sent to patrol the ]. King was commanding officer on ''Snapper'' from 16 April 1939 to April 1940.<ref name=Record/> On 3 December 1939, ''Snapper'' sustained a direct hit from a British aircraft while returning to ] after a patrol, but without taking damage.<ref name=Snapper>, uboat.net; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> At the outbreak of the war, King and ''Snapper'' were sent to patrol the ]. King was commanding officer on ''Snapper'' from 16 April 1939 to April 1940.<ref name=Record/> On 3 December 1939, ''Snapper'' sustained a direct hit from a British aircraft while returning to ] after a patrol, but without taking damage.<ref name=Snapper>, uboat.net; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


Between December 1939 and July 1940, ''Snapper'' sank six ships, mainly in the ] Strait.<ref name=Snapper/> These include the tanker ''Moonsund'', the ] ''Florida'', the ] ''H. M. Behrens'' and ''Carsten Janssen'', and the ] ''Portland'' and ''Cygnus''. ''Snapper'' was later lost under command of Lieutenant Geoffrey Vernon Prowse, either in a minefield or sunk by German ]s.<ref name=Snapper/><ref name=SnapperCasualties>Kindell, Don., naval-history.net; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Between December 1939 and July 1940, ''Snapper'' sank six ships, mainly in the ] Strait.<ref name=Snapper/> These include the tanker ''Moonsund'', the ] ''Florida'', the ]s ''H. M. Behrens'' and ''Carsten Janssen'', and the ] ''Portland'' and ''Cygnus''. ''Snapper'' was later lost under command of Lieutenant Geoffrey Vernon Prowse, either in a minefield or sunk by German ]s.<ref name=Snapper/><ref name=SnapperCasualties>Kindell, Don., naval-history.net; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


] ]
In 1941, King served on the ] ''Trusty'' in the Mediterranean Sea. On 4 December 1941 ''Trusty'' unsuccessfully launched torpedoes against a boat which may have been the Italian torpedo boat ''Orsa''.<ref name=Trusty>; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref> "Allied Warships: Orsa. Torpedo boat of the Orsa class." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> In 1941, King served on the ] ''Trusty'' in the Mediterranean Sea. On 4 December 1941 ''Trusty'' unsuccessfully launched torpedoes against a boat which may have been the Italian torpedo boat ''Orsa''.<ref name=Trusty>; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref> "Allied Warships: Orsa. Torpedo boat of the Orsa class." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref>


From 21 July 1943 to August 1945, King was commanding officer of the T-class submarine ''Telemachus''. ''Telemachus'' dropped off a ] unit in western ] in October 1944.<ref name=Record/><ref name=BritSubs> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326162108/http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/page19.html |date=26 March 2011 }} "British Submarines of World War Two." Retrieved on 12 February 2008.</ref> From 21 July 1943 to August 1945, King was commanding officer of the T-class submarine ''Telemachus''. ''Telemachus'' dropped off a ] unit in western ] in October 1944.<ref name=Record/><ref name=BritSubs> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326162108/http://home.cogeco.ca/~gchalcraft/sm/page19.html |date=26 March 2011 }} "British Submarines of World War Two." Retrieved on 12 February 2008.</ref>


Operating from a joint British-Dutch base at ], ] ] ] in the ] on 17 July 1944.<ref name=I166> "Sensuikan! HIJMS Submarine I-166: Tabular Record of Movement." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Telemachus>. "Allied Warships: HMS Telemachus (P 321). Submarine of the T class." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> ''Telemachus'' tracked ''I-166'' for 30 minutes, then fired a spread of six torpedoes. One torpedo hit, and sank the Japanese boat with 89 lives lost; five men on bridge watch survived to be rescued by the Japanese.<ref name=I166/> Operating from a joint British-Dutch base at ], ] ] ] in the ] on 17 July 1944.<ref name=I166> "Sensuikan! HIJMS Submarine I-166: Tabular Record of Movement." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Telemachus>. "Allied Warships: HMS Telemachus (P 321). Submarine of the T class." Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> ''Telemachus'' tracked ''I-166'' for 30 minutes, then fired a spread of six torpedoes. One torpedo hit, and sank the Japanese boat with 89 lives lost; five men on bridge watch survived to be rescued by the Japanese.<ref name=I166/>


During the war, King was promoted to commander, and awarded seven medals, including the DSO on 9 May 1940 for "daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty's Submarines against the enemy",<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34845|supp=y|page=2786|date=7 May 1940}}</ref> and the ] on 6 September 1940 "for bravery and determination during arduous and successful patrols in H.M. Submarines" both whilst in command of ''Snapper''.<ref name=Record/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34941|supp=y|page=5442|date=6 September 1940}}</ref> During the war, King was promoted to commander, and awarded seven medals, including the DSO on 9 May 1940 for "daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty's Submarines against the enemy",<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34845|supp=y|page=2786|date=7 May 1940}}</ref> and the ] on 6 September 1940 "for bravery and determination during arduous and successful patrols in H.M. Submarines" both whilst in command of ''Snapper''.<ref name=Record/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34941|supp=y|page=5442|date=6 September 1940}}</ref>
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A ] was added to his DSO on 16 January 1945 "For outstanding courage, skill and determination in one of H.M. Submarines in successful patrols in Far Eastern waters"<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36895|supp=y|page=417|date=12 January 1945}}</ref> (specifically the sinking of ''I-166'').<ref name=Forum> "Local Hero". British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, South African and all Commonwealth Medals. britishmedalforum.com. Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> In 2006, he received an eighth medal, the Arctic Emblem.<ref name=Emblem/> A ] was added to his DSO on 16 January 1945 "For outstanding courage, skill and determination in one of H.M. Submarines in successful patrols in Far Eastern waters"<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36895|supp=y|page=417|date=12 January 1945}}</ref> (specifically the sinking of ''I-166'').<ref name=Forum> "Local Hero". British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, South African and all Commonwealth Medals. britishmedalforum.com. Retrieved on 7 January 2008.</ref> In 2006, he received an eighth medal, the Arctic Emblem.<ref name=Emblem/>


King ended his Royal Navy career as ] of the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Forth|A187|2}}, an appointment he held from 1 September 1945 to April 1946.<ref name=Record/> His formal retirement came on 9 May 1948.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38239|page=1882|date=16 March 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/9561339/Commander-Bill-King.html|title=Commander Bill King |publisher=Telegraph |date=23 September 2012|accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> King ended his Royal Navy career as ] of the submarine depot ship {{HMS|Forth|A187|2}}, an appointment he held from 1 September 1945 to April 1946.<ref name=Record/> His formal retirement came on 9 May 1948.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38239|page=1882|date=16 March 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/9561339/Commander-Bill-King.html|title=Commander Bill King |publisher=Telegraph |date=23 September 2012|access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>


==Post-war life and marriage== ==Post-war life and marriage==
On 1 January 1949, King married Anita Leslie, a divorceé, whose full name was Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie Rodzianko 1914–1984). She was the eldest child of ] (aka ]), and his wife Marjorie Ide, the ]-born daughter of the US ambassador to Spain.<ref name=Marjorie>, ''New York Times'', 12 June 1912; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> On 1 January 1949, King married Anita Leslie, a divorcée, whose full name was Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie Rodzianko 1914–1984). She was the eldest child of ] (aka ]), and his wife Marjorie Ide, the ]-born daughter of the US ambassador to Spain.<ref name=Marjorie>, ''New York Times'', 12 June 1912; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>

⚫ Bill and Anita probably met in ] in 1943, where King served for 5 months as executive officer of the submarine base at ].<ref name=Journey/> She was on a skiing trip after doing duty in Africa in the ] in 1940–42, although a letter mentions her being in Beirut in 1941–42.<ref name=Letter> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902211256/http://www.library.georgetown.edu/dept/speccoll/fl/f163%7D25.htm |date=2 September 2006 }} "Special Collections: Sir Shane Leslie Papers" Box: 31 Fold: 1 Alec Waugh. Letter(s) dated 28 August 1949; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>

Leslie-King then became an ambulance driver in the French Army from 1944 to 1945. For the latter, she was awarded the '']'' in 1945 by General ].<ref name=GenForum/> As Anita Leslie, she wrote over a dozen books, including ''Love in a Nutshell'' (1952), ''The Remarkable Mr. Jerome: The Life and Times of Leonard Jerome, Sir Winston Churchill's American Grandfather'' (1954).{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}


⚫ Bill and Anita probably met in ] in 1943, where King served for 5 months as executive officer of the submarine base at ].<ref name=Journey/> She was on a skiing trip after doing duty in Africa in the ] in 1940–42, although a letter mentions her being in Beirut in 1941–42.<ref name=Letter> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902211256/http://www.library.georgetown.edu/dept/speccoll/fl/f163%7D25.htm |date=2 September 2006 }} "Special Collections: Sir Shane Leslie Papers" Box: 31 Fold: 1 Alec Waugh. Letter(s) dated 28 August 1949; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Leslie-King then became an ambulance driver in the French Army from 1944 to 1945. For the latter, she was awarded the '']'' in 1945 by General ].<ref name=GenForum/> As Anita Leslie, she wrote over a dozen books, including ''Love in a Nutshell'' (1952), ''The Remarkable Mr. Jerome: The Life and Times of Leonard Jerome, Sir Winston Churchill's American Grandfather'' (1954).{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} In 1974 she wrote the biography of ], the first person to sail around the world single-handedly with only one stop. The Kings had two children.
In 1974 she wrote the biography of ], the first person to sail around the world single-handedly with only one stop. The Kings had two children, Richard Tarka Bourke King (b. 1949), and Leonie Rose King (b. 1951).<ref name=Peerage>, thepeerage.com; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


After the war, King took up farming and was an avid fox hunter, as was his wife. In 1946, the Kings bought ], a 15th century ] keep built on ] Ireland for £200.<ref name=Emblem/> After the war, King took up farming and was an avid fox hunter, as was his wife. In 1946, the Kings bought ], a 15th century ] keep built on ] Ireland for £200.<ref name=Emblem/>
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==Solo circumnavigation== ==Solo circumnavigation==
] By 1967, King was intent on sailing around the world by himself. He had a boat built for this purpose at Souter's yard at ].<ref name=Knox>Knox-Johnston, Robin. , W.W. Norton & Company; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Paine>Paine, Lincoln P. , Houghton Mifflin Books; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> ] By 1967, King was intent on sailing around the world by himself. He had a boat built for this purpose at Souter's yard at ].<ref name=Knox>Knox-Johnston, Robin. , W.W. Norton & Company; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Paine>Paine, Lincoln P. , Houghton Mifflin Books; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


King's boat, the two-masted ''Galway Blazer II'', a cold-molded ] ], was specially designed for him by ]. It is not certain whether the boat was named after ''The Galway Blazers'', a local ] club in Galway, Ireland, which dates to 1839.<ref name=Schooner>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/03/reviews/010603.03hightot.html|title=Hightower, Elizabeth. 2001.|accessdate=3 February 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020414021810/http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/03/reviews/010603.03hightot.html|archivedate=14 April 2002}}, "Sailors Take Warning!" (Review of ''A Voyage for Madmen''), ''New York Times on the Web''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Blazers> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118180616/http://www.scispy.ie/fionn_films/thumbnails/asx/13GalwayHunt.asx |date=18 November 2007 }}, ''The Galway Blazers''. Fionn Films. ("Children talk with a local hunt master and follow the Galway Blazers on a hunt"); retrieved 7 January 2008 (video file).</ref> King's boat, the two-masted ''Galway Blazer II'', a cold-molded ] ], was specially designed for him by ]. It is not certain whether the boat was named after ''The Galway Blazers'', a local ] club in Galway, Ireland, which dates to 1839.<ref name=Schooner>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/03/reviews/010603.03hightot.html|title=Hightower, Elizabeth. 2001.|website=] |access-date=3 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020414021810/http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/06/03/reviews/010603.03hightot.html|archive-date=14 April 2002}}, "Sailors Take Warning!" (Review of ''A Voyage for Madmen''), ''New York Times on the Web''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=Blazers> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118180616/http://www.scispy.ie/fionn_films/thumbnails/asx/13GalwayHunt.asx |date=18 November 2007 }}, ''The Galway Blazers''. Fionn Films. ("Children talk with a local hunt master and follow the Galway Blazers on a hunt"); retrieved 7 January 2008 (video file).</ref>


Based on boats he had seen in China, the {{convert|42|ft|m|adj=on}} schooner had a ] (a sail stiffened by battens). In this regard ''Galway Blazer II'' was similar to '']'', the junk-rigged Folkboat used by former Royal Marine Colonel ] in the first single-handed cross-Atlantic race (]).<ref name="Jester">Elliott, Ray. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030233459/http://www.co32.org/BOAT_SECTION/STORIES/JESTER/jest.html|date=30 October 2007}} "Millennium Single Handed Trans Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=OSTAR> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006134956/http://www.rwyc.org/rwdb/article/view.asp?id=51&sm=OSTAR|date=6 October 2007}} "OSTAR-the Original Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Based on boats he had seen in China, the {{convert|42|ft|m|adj=on}} schooner had a ] (a sail stiffened by battens). In this regard ''Galway Blazer II'' was similar to '']'', the junk-rigged Folkboat used by former Royal Marine Colonel ] in the first single-handed cross-Atlantic race (]).<ref name="Jester">Elliott, Ray. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030233459/http://www.co32.org/BOAT_SECTION/STORIES/JESTER/jest.html|date=30 October 2007}} "Millennium Single Handed Trans Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=OSTAR> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006134956/http://www.rwyc.org/rwdb/article/view.asp?id=51&sm=OSTAR|date=6 October 2007}} "OSTAR-the Original Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race"; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>
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King was sponsored by the ''Daily Express'' and ''Sunday Express'' newspapers.<ref name="Holm428">Holm, Donald. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123115541/http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_26.htm|date=23 January 2008}} ''The Circumnavigators: Small Boat Voyagers of Modern Times'' (1974, pg. 248), New York: Prentice-Hall; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> King was sponsored by the ''Daily Express'' and ''Sunday Express'' newspapers.<ref name="Holm428">Holm, Donald. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123115541/http://www.mcallen.lib.tx.us/books/circumna/ci_26.htm|date=23 January 2008}} ''The Circumnavigators: Small Boat Voyagers of Modern Times'' (1974, pg. 248), New York: Prentice-Hall; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


One of the shortcomings of the boat was that it had neither guard rails or shrouds to hold on to. King solved this problem with a steel wire that stretched from bow to ], to which he clipped a harness. His method was then copied by fellow racers Loïck Fougeron and ].<ref name="Moitessier">Moitessier, Bernard. ''The Long Way'' as translated by William Rodarmor (1995, pg. 123), Sheridan House (publisher); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> One of the shortcomings of the boat was that it had neither guard rails or shrouds to hold on to. King solved this problem with a steel wire that stretched from bow to ], to which he clipped a harness. His method was then copied by fellow racers Loïck Fougeron and ].<ref name="Moitessier">Moitessier, Bernard. ''The Long Way'' as translated by ] (1995, pg. 123), Sheridan House (publisher); retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


King started the race on 24 August 1968. During the race, King lived on raw food, such as dried fruit stirred into almond paste and green sprouts that he grew on board. He read through the ], the ], and ]'s 1880 Buddhist writing, '']'',<ref name=Arnold>, ''The Light of Asia, Or, The Great Renunciation''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> as well as ''"all the best novels, such as ]"''. He said that he did not get depressed during the journey, because of the beauty surrounding him. "You are...alone with God...there's no opportunity to sin".<ref>{{cite video|people=Louise Osmond; Jerry Rothwell; Jonny Persey|year=2006|title=]|publisher=BBC|accessdate=26 January 2018}}</ref> King started the race on 24 August 1968. During the race, King lived on raw food, such as dried fruit stirred into almond paste and green sprouts that he grew on board. He read through the ], the ], and ]'s 1880 Buddhist writing, '']'',<ref name=Arnold>, ''The Light of Asia, Or, The Great Renunciation''; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> as well as ''"all the best novels, such as ]"''. He said that he did not get depressed during the journey, because of the beauty surrounding him. "You are...alone with God...there's no opportunity to sin".<ref>{{cite video|people=Louise Osmond; Jerry Rothwell; Jonny Persey|year=2006|title=]|publisher=BBC|access-date=}}</ref>


King lost radio contact during the race.<ref>(Holm 1974:270)</ref> On 31 October, ''Galway Blazer II'' capsized in {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} waves northeast off ] while King rested, breaking both masts.<ref name=Johnston>; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> King had to be towed to ], South Africa.<ref name="Paine"/> King lost radio contact during the race.<ref>(Holm 1974:270)</ref> On 31 October, ''Galway Blazer II'' capsized in {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} waves northeast off ] while King rested, breaking both masts.<ref name=Johnston>; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> King had to be towed to ], South Africa.<ref name="Paine"/>
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King was below deck when he heard a shattering sound and saw the hull below the water line bulge inward and splinter. He rushed upstairs and heeled the boat so that the hole was lifted out of the water. He had to hang over the side and submerge himself to carry out emergency repairs with material that included thirteen ropes, sticky tape, collision covers, sheet copper, and sponge rubber. Then he had to fix the inside of the hull as well. After three days of work, he was able to return to Fremantle, "barely able to limp into port".<ref name=Holm384/><ref name=Henderson261>{{cite book|author=Richard Henderson|title=Singlehanded Sailing: The Experiences and Techniques of the Lone Voyagers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wSGPcXHBJ8oC|page=261|date=1 August 1992|publisher=McGraw Hill Professional|isbn=978-0-07-028164-6}}</ref> King was below deck when he heard a shattering sound and saw the hull below the water line bulge inward and splinter. He rushed upstairs and heeled the boat so that the hole was lifted out of the water. He had to hang over the side and submerge himself to carry out emergency repairs with material that included thirteen ropes, sticky tape, collision covers, sheet copper, and sponge rubber. Then he had to fix the inside of the hull as well. After three days of work, he was able to return to Fremantle, "barely able to limp into port".<ref name=Holm384/><ref name=Henderson261>{{cite book|author=Richard Henderson|title=Singlehanded Sailing: The Experiences and Techniques of the Lone Voyagers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wSGPcXHBJ8oC|page=261|date=1 August 1992|publisher=McGraw Hill Professional|isbn=978-0-07-028164-6}}</ref>


The 1970 journey was eventually successful, with King completing his global circumnavigation on 23 May 1973.<ref name=Henderson261/><ref name="Where">Ryan, Des. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719042226/http://www.sail-world.com/cruisingaus/index.cfm?nid=32168|date=19 July 2011}} "Knox-Johnston and Blyth's Madmen-Where are they?" (2007), sail-world.com; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> In 1975, the ] awarded King the Blue Water Medal in recognition of his feat.<ref name=BlueWater>, "The Blue Water Medal Awards, 1923–2004"; retrieved 8 January 2008.</ref> The 1970 journey was eventually successful, with King completing his global circumnavigation on 23 May 1973.<ref name=Henderson261/><ref name="Where">Ryan, Des. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719042226/http://www.sail-world.com/cruisingaus/index.cfm?nid=32168|date=19 July 2011}} "Knox-Johnston and Blyth's Madmen-Where are they?" (2007), sail-world.com; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> In 1975, the ] awarded King the Blue Water Medal in recognition of his feat.<ref name=BlueWater> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919224905/http://www.cruisingclub.org/pdfs/dl.asp?fn=awards_bluewater.pdf |date=19 September 2007 }}, "The Blue Water Medal Awards, 1923–2004"; retrieved 8 January 2008.</ref>


That same year, ''Galway Blazer II'' was sold to Peter Crowther, landlord of a Devon pub.<ref name="Loss26">Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder. ''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 26), Sheridan House Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Crowther wrote a book about his experiences with the boat, which was lost on 24 June 1996 during the tenth Singlehanded Transatlantic Race from ], England, to ] in the USA.<ref name=Crowther>Crowther, Peter. 2003. "Single-handed Sailing: Twenty Years in", ''Galway Blazer''. Thomas Reed Publications; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=RacePicture> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050901150131/http://bluegreenpictures.com/perl/Cyan.pl?mode=view |date=1 September 2005 }}; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name="Loss21">Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder. , ''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 21), Sheridan House, Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> That same year, ''Galway Blazer II'' was sold to Peter Crowther, landlord of a Devon pub.<ref name="Loss26">Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder. ''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 26), Sheridan House Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref> Crowther wrote a book about his experiences with the boat, which was lost on 24 June 1996 during the tenth Singlehanded Transatlantic Race from ], England, to ] in the USA.<ref name=Crowther>Crowther, Peter. 2003. "Single-handed Sailing: Twenty Years in", ''Galway Blazer''. Thomas Reed Publications; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name=RacePicture> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050901150131/http://bluegreenpictures.com/perl/Cyan.pl?mode=view |date=1 September 2005 }}; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref><ref name="Loss21">Coote, Jack and Paul Gelder. , ''Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea'' (2002, pg. 21), Sheridan House, Inc.; retrieved 7 January 2008.</ref>


==Later life== ==Later life==
In September 2007, King and his daughter Leonie, still lived at ].<ref name=Oranmore/> His life's experiences continue to attract media attention, from film to music to art installation. In September 2007, King and his daughter Leonie, still lived at ].<ref name=Oranmore/> His life's experiences continued to attract media attention, from film to music to art installation.


He was filmed for two documentaries about the Golden Globe Race; the 1960s BBC short ''Golden Globe – Lone Sailor Round the World Race'' and 2006's ''Deep Water''. His war experiences still fascinate documentary film makers. King was interviewed for two planned productions, a 24 minute episode entitled "To Honour and Peace" for the proposed series entitled ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'',<ref name=ToHonour> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128014559/http://www.periscopeproduction.com/tohonour.shtml|date=28 November 2006}} "To Honour and Peace." Episode from proposed ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'' series; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref> and for ''The Stick & The Stars: The Life & Times of Commander Bill King''. He was filmed for two documentaries about the Golden Globe Race; the 1960s BBC short ''Golden Globe – Lone Sailor Round the World Race'' and 2006's ''Deep Water''. His war experiences still fascinate documentary film makers. King was interviewed for two planned productions, a 24 minute episode entitled "To Honour and Peace" for the proposed series entitled ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'',<ref name=ToHonour> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061128014559/http://www.periscopeproduction.com/tohonour.shtml|date=28 November 2006}} "To Honour and Peace." Episode from proposed ''Bravery Beneath the Waves'' series; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref> and for ''The Stick & The Stars: The Life & Times of Commander Bill King''.
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The local paper, ''The Galway Advertiser'', dubbed their threeway meeting at Oranmore Castle a "reconciliation". Subsequently Akira Tsurukame released video material of his interviews with Bill King on the internet. Two installations in July 2006 at the Project 06 art exhibition in Galway referenced King. ''Response to Japanese Peace and Reconciliation'' was arranged in Swan House, and featured art-works by his daughter Leonie King and grand-daughter Heather Finn. The ''Lost at Sea'' installation was a collaboration between Galway-based ''Cane 141'', who set stories told by Bill King to electronic music, and visual artist Roisin Coyle. The latter installation has since been exhibited in ], and in May 2007 at Grace Exhibition Space in New York City.<ref name=Installation> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220211609/http://www.cane141.com/news.html|date=20 December 2007}} ''Lost at Sea Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref><ref name=GraceSpace> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714131701/http://gracespace.multiply.com/calendar/item/10046|date=14 July 2011}} ''Roisin Mary Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref><ref name=Roisin> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531095006/http://www.romyillustrations.com/id71.html|date=31 May 2009}} Grace Exhibition Space, ], May 2007; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref> The local paper, ''The Galway Advertiser'', dubbed their threeway meeting at Oranmore Castle a "reconciliation". Subsequently Akira Tsurukame released video material of his interviews with Bill King on the internet. Two installations in July 2006 at the Project 06 art exhibition in Galway referenced King. ''Response to Japanese Peace and Reconciliation'' was arranged in Swan House, and featured art-works by his daughter Leonie King and grand-daughter Heather Finn. The ''Lost at Sea'' installation was a collaboration between Galway-based ''Cane 141'', who set stories told by Bill King to electronic music, and visual artist Roisin Coyle. The latter installation has since been exhibited in ], and in May 2007 at Grace Exhibition Space in New York City.<ref name=Installation> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220211609/http://www.cane141.com/news.html|date=20 December 2007}} ''Lost at Sea Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref><ref name=GraceSpace> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714131701/http://gracespace.multiply.com/calendar/item/10046|date=14 July 2011}} ''Roisin Mary Installation''; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref><ref name=Roisin> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531095006/http://www.romyillustrations.com/id71.html|date=31 May 2009}} Grace Exhibition Space, ], May 2007; retrieved 15 February 2008.</ref>


In 2009, Bill King's great nephew Luke Leslie produced the short film ''King of the Waves'', which dramatised King's solo circumnavigation and encounter with the great white shark. It also included interviews with King himself. It was screened before King and his family in ] on his ninety-ninth birthday shortly before premiering at the 2009 Galway, Cork and Kerry film festivals.<ref>{{cite web|author=Personal stylist|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/all-hail-the-king-of-the-waves-a-hero-whos-still-young-at-heart-1794653.html|title=All hail the King of the waves, a hero who's still young at heart|publisher=Independent.ie|accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> In 2009, Bill King's great nephew Luke Leslie produced the short film ''King of the Waves'', which dramatised King's solo circumnavigation and encounter with the great white shark. It also included interviews with King himself. It was screened before King and his family in ] on his ninety-ninth birthday shortly before premiering at the 2009 Galway, Cork and Kerry film festivals.<ref>{{cite web|author=Personal stylist|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/all-hail-the-king-of-the-waves-a-hero-whos-still-young-at-heart-1794653.html|title=All hail the King of the waves, a hero who's still young at heart|publisher=Independent.ie|access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref>


King died in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0922/1224324272443.html|title=Oldest War submarine commander dies at 102|publisher=The Irish Times|date=22 September 2012|accessdate=8 October 2012}}</ref> At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving World War II submarine commander.<ref name=Forum/> King died in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0922/1224324272443.html|title=Oldest War submarine commander dies at 102|publisher=The Irish Times|date=22 September 2012|access-date=8 October 2012|archive-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019182237/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0922/1224324272443.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving World War II submarine commander.<ref name=Forum/>


==Published works== ==Published works==
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Latest revision as of 16:07, 31 December 2024

British naval officer, yachtsman, author

Bill King
Bill King
Birth nameWilliam Donald Aelian King
Nickname(s)Bill
Born(1910-06-23)23 June 1910
Died21 September 2012(2012-09-21) (aged 102)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Navy
Years of serviceDecember 1927 – April 1946
RankCommander
UnitSubmarine Service
CommandsCommanding officer:

Executive officer:

Battles / warsNorth Sea (1939–40)
Mediterranean Sea (1941)
Action of 17 July 1944
AwardsDistinguished Service Order (1940)
Distinguished Service Cross (1940)
Bar to the DSO (1945)
Arctic Emblem (2006)
Others: 1939–1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Civilian: Blue Water Medal (1975)
RelationsAnita Leslie (spouse)
William King (grandfather)
Other workFarmer
Solo circumnavigator (1969–73)
Author (1958–97)

Commander William Donald Aelian King, DSO & Bar, DSC (23 June 1910 – 21 September 2012) was a British naval officer, yachtsman and author. He was the oldest participant in the first solo non-stop, around-the-world yacht race, the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, and the only person to command a British submarine on both the first and last days of World War II.

Brought up by his mother and grandmother, King went to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He was first assigned to the battleship Resolution, and later became commanding officer of the submarine Snapper. He commanded three separate RN submarines in World War II, and was promoted to commander and awarded seven medals during the war. King not only survived World War II, but succeeded in a singlehanded circumnavigation in 1973 on his third attempt. During the latter journey, he managed to reach port despite a collision with a large sea creature 400 miles (640 km) southwest of Australia.

Family background and childhood

William Donald Aelian King was born to William Albert de Courcy King and Georgina Marie MacKenzie in 1910. King's great-grandfather, William King, was Chair of Mineralogy and Geology at Queen's College, Galway. He was appointed when the College first opened in 1849. William King was the first to argue that Neanderthals were a species separate from modern humans.

King's father, William Albert de Courcy King, was born in 1875. He married Georgina Marie, daughter of a "Mr. D. F. MacKenzie, of Collingwood Grange, Camberley, Surrey" in June 1908. De Courcy King attended Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and then the School of Military Engineering, Chatham. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1894. Prior to World War I, his postings included Saint Lucia in the 1890s, where the Engineers constructed gun emplacements and fortified coal stations, and South Africa, where the Engineers built blockhouses (designed by Major S. R. Rice, RE) during the Anglo Boer War. De Courcy King was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1916 while a major, during the First World War, serving later as Lieutenant-Colonel with the 36th (Ulster) Division in Belgium. He was killed on 27 May 1917 at the age of 42, and lies buried at Dranoutre Military Cemetery in Belgium.

As a result of his father's death, Bill King was brought up by his mother and grandmother. His MacKenzie grandmother was a formidable woman who learned to ski at the age of 75 and still sailed in her eighties.

Early naval career

The Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, which King attended from 1922, when he was twelve.

After preparatory school, at the age of twelve, King was sent to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in Devon. In the 2006 documentary about the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race; Deep Water, King said that he had been a boxer and a "champion long-distance runner" in his youth.

From December 1927 to April 1930, King was posted to the battleship Resolution, which served in the Mediterranean.

During this time he became a midshipman. From June 1932 to January 1934, he was posted to the submarine Orpheus, which served near China. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1932. In April 1935, King was appointed first lieutenant of the service vessel Pigmy, formerly the Polish sailing vessel Iskra, used by the Royal Navy at Gibraltar to supply the 8th Submarine Squadron.

After seven months, he was transferred to Starfish, then to Narwhal, before being sent to Portsmouth for the Submarine Command Course at HMS Dolphin. Having successfully qualified to command a submarine, a four-month stint aboard the submarine depot ship Titania followed, before , in May 1939, King travelled to Malta to take command of Snapper.

World War II

During World War II, King served in three submarines of the Royal Navy: Snapper, Trusty, and Telemachus. He patrolled the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Far East.

At the outbreak of the war, King and Snapper were sent to patrol the North Sea. King was commanding officer on Snapper from 16 April 1939 to April 1940. On 3 December 1939, Snapper sustained a direct hit from a British aircraft while returning to Harwich after a patrol, but without taking damage.

Between December 1939 and July 1940, Snapper sank six ships, mainly in the Skagerrak Strait. These include the tanker Moonsund, the merchant ship Florida, the minesweepers H. M. Behrens and Carsten Janssen, and the armed trawlers Portland and Cygnus. Snapper was later lost under command of Lieutenant Geoffrey Vernon Prowse, either in a minefield or sunk by German depth charges.

HMS Telemachus, which King commanded from 1943 to 1945.

In 1941, King served on the T-class submarine Trusty in the Mediterranean Sea. On 4 December 1941 Trusty unsuccessfully launched torpedoes against a boat which may have been the Italian torpedo boat Orsa.

From 21 July 1943 to August 1945, King was commanding officer of the T-class submarine Telemachus. Telemachus dropped off a special forces unit in western Malaya in October 1944.

Operating from a joint British-Dutch base at Ceylon, Telemachus sank the Japanese Kadai-class submarine I-166 in the Strait of Malacca on 17 July 1944. Telemachus tracked I-166 for 30 minutes, then fired a spread of six torpedoes. One torpedo hit, and sank the Japanese boat with 89 lives lost; five men on bridge watch survived to be rescued by the Japanese.

During the war, King was promoted to commander, and awarded seven medals, including the DSO on 9 May 1940 for "daring, endurance and resource in the conduct of hazardous and successful operations in His Majesty's Submarines against the enemy", and the Distinguished Service Cross on 6 September 1940 "for bravery and determination during arduous and successful patrols in H.M. Submarines" both whilst in command of Snapper.

A bar was added to his DSO on 16 January 1945 "For outstanding courage, skill and determination in one of H.M. Submarines in successful patrols in Far Eastern waters" (specifically the sinking of I-166). In 2006, he received an eighth medal, the Arctic Emblem.

King ended his Royal Navy career as executive officer of the submarine depot ship Forth, an appointment he held from 1 September 1945 to April 1946. His formal retirement came on 9 May 1948.

Post-war life and marriage

On 1 January 1949, King married Anita Leslie, a divorcée, whose full name was Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie Rodzianko 1914–1984). She was the eldest child of Sir John Randolph Shane Leslie, 3rd Baronet (aka Shane Leslie), and his wife Marjorie Ide, the Vermont-born daughter of the US ambassador to Spain.

Bill and Anita probably met in Lebanon in 1943, where King served for 5 months as executive officer of the submarine base at Beirut. She was on a skiing trip after doing duty in Africa in the Motor Transport Corps in 1940–42, although a letter mentions her being in Beirut in 1941–42. Leslie-King then became an ambulance driver in the French Army from 1944 to 1945. For the latter, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1945 by General Charles de Gaulle. As Anita Leslie, she wrote over a dozen books, including Love in a Nutshell (1952), The Remarkable Mr. Jerome: The Life and Times of Leonard Jerome, Sir Winston Churchill's American Grandfather (1954). In 1974 she wrote the biography of Francis Chichester, the first person to sail around the world single-handedly with only one stop. The Kings had two children.

After the war, King took up farming and was an avid fox hunter, as was his wife. In 1946, the Kings bought Oranmore Castle, a 15th century Norman keep built on Galway Bay Ireland for £200. Other sources report that Anita Leslie-King was given the castle by her mother, who had bought it in 1946.

For a while, the Kings lived in a hunting lodge outside Oranmore village, designed by Bill, and built while he and Anita went on a "world sailing cruise." To help combat his wife's asthma, King developed an organic farm and garden to feed his family. Both Anita Leslie's mother and grandmother had suffered asthma.

Solo circumnavigation

A junk rigged schooner, similar to the Galway Blazer II with which Bill King sailed around the world in 1973.

By 1967, King was intent on sailing around the world by himself. He had a boat built for this purpose at Souter's yard at Cowes, Isle of Wight.

King's boat, the two-masted Galway Blazer II, a cold-molded plywood schooner, was specially designed for him by Angus Primrose. It is not certain whether the boat was named after The Galway Blazers, a local fox hunting club in Galway, Ireland, which dates to 1839.

Based on boats he had seen in China, the 42-foot (13 m) schooner had a junk rig (a sail stiffened by battens). In this regard Galway Blazer II was similar to Jester, the junk-rigged Folkboat used by former Royal Marine Colonel Herbert Hasler in the first single-handed cross-Atlantic race (OSTAR).

King, Hasler and Primrose had "teamed up" to design the boat, which was displayed "at the London Boat Show in January 1968". King's intention to sail around the world was overtaken by the institution in March 1968 of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. Aged 58, King became the oldest participant in what was the first organised round the world solo yacht race.

In Deep Water, King explained that he joined the race as a means of recovering psychologically from fifteen years of service in submarines. This, he said, had left him "a nervous wreck". He had planned to sail around the world before he heard of the race, which "sort of caught up with me." An aunt's legacy provided him with the means to finance the boat.

King was sponsored by the Daily Express and Sunday Express newspapers.

One of the shortcomings of the boat was that it had neither guard rails or shrouds to hold on to. King solved this problem with a steel wire that stretched from bow to stern, to which he clipped a harness. His method was then copied by fellow racers Loïck Fougeron and Bernard Moitessier.

King started the race on 24 August 1968. During the race, King lived on raw food, such as dried fruit stirred into almond paste and green sprouts that he grew on board. He read through the New Testament, the Qur'an, and Edwin Arnold's 1880 Buddhist writing, The Light of Asia, as well as "all the best novels, such as Tolstoy". He said that he did not get depressed during the journey, because of the beauty surrounding him. "You are...alone with God...there's no opportunity to sin".

King lost radio contact during the race. On 31 October, Galway Blazer II capsized in 50-foot (15 m) waves northeast off Gough Island while King rested, breaking both masts. King had to be towed to Cape Town, South Africa.

In 1969, King again tried and failed to circumnavigate in Galway Blazer II. In 1970, he was ready for another attempt, again using Galway Blazer II. Ill-health and hull damage forced him to put ashore at Australia. After departing on 12 December 1971, a large sea creature (a whale or shark) damaged his boat about 400 miles (640 km) southwest of Fremantle. "Only his skill and heroic efforts were able to keep the vessel afloat until jury repairs could be made."

King was below deck when he heard a shattering sound and saw the hull below the water line bulge inward and splinter. He rushed upstairs and heeled the boat so that the hole was lifted out of the water. He had to hang over the side and submerge himself to carry out emergency repairs with material that included thirteen ropes, sticky tape, collision covers, sheet copper, and sponge rubber. Then he had to fix the inside of the hull as well. After three days of work, he was able to return to Fremantle, "barely able to limp into port".

The 1970 journey was eventually successful, with King completing his global circumnavigation on 23 May 1973. In 1975, the Cruising Club of America awarded King the Blue Water Medal in recognition of his feat.

That same year, Galway Blazer II was sold to Peter Crowther, landlord of a Devon pub. Crowther wrote a book about his experiences with the boat, which was lost on 24 June 1996 during the tenth Singlehanded Transatlantic Race from Plymouth, England, to Newport, Rhode Island in the USA.

Later life

In September 2007, King and his daughter Leonie, still lived at Oranmore Castle. His life's experiences continued to attract media attention, from film to music to art installation.

He was filmed for two documentaries about the Golden Globe Race; the 1960s BBC short Golden Globe – Lone Sailor Round the World Race and 2006's Deep Water. His war experiences still fascinate documentary film makers. King was interviewed for two planned productions, a 24 minute episode entitled "To Honour and Peace" for the proposed series entitled Bravery Beneath the Waves, and for The Stick & The Stars: The Life & Times of Commander Bill King.

Most recent attention arises from King's interaction with Akira Tsurukame and Katja Boonstra-Blom – the subject of print media articles, an exhibition, and video interviews. Tsurukame, son of the chief engineer who perished with I-166, in 2004 sought out King. King, Tsurukame, and Katja Boonstra, whose father was killed when I-166 sank the Dutch submarine K XVI, together planted a tree at Oranmore Castle to honour the fathers of the latter two.

The local paper, The Galway Advertiser, dubbed their threeway meeting at Oranmore Castle a "reconciliation". Subsequently Akira Tsurukame released video material of his interviews with Bill King on the internet. Two installations in July 2006 at the Project 06 art exhibition in Galway referenced King. Response to Japanese Peace and Reconciliation was arranged in Swan House, and featured art-works by his daughter Leonie King and grand-daughter Heather Finn. The Lost at Sea installation was a collaboration between Galway-based Cane 141, who set stories told by Bill King to electronic music, and visual artist Roisin Coyle. The latter installation has since been exhibited in Dublin, and in May 2007 at Grace Exhibition Space in New York City.

In 2009, Bill King's great nephew Luke Leslie produced the short film King of the Waves, which dramatised King's solo circumnavigation and encounter with the great white shark. It also included interviews with King himself. It was screened before King and his family in Oranmore, County Galway on his ninety-ninth birthday shortly before premiering at the 2009 Galway, Cork and Kerry film festivals.

King died in September 2012. At the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving World War II submarine commander.

Published works

  • 1958: The Stick and the Stars. (Hutchinson).
  • 1969: Capsize. (Nautical Publishing
  • 1975: Adventure in Depth.(Putnam Publishing).
  • 1983: Dive and Attack. Revises and updates The Stick and the Stars, describes author's experiences during World War II. (W. Kimber/ Hutchinson)
  • 1989: The Wheeling Stars : A Guide for Lone Sailors. Boston, London: Faber & Faber.
  • 1997: Kamikaze: the Wind of God (Minerva Press)

See also

References

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