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387:"A very capable Captain (D) who has trained his Flotilla well. An officer probably much better suited to the practical side of naval life rather than to Staff duties. A strong personality with definite powers of command and a very good seaman. Most loyal and is very thorough in the carrying out of his duties. Social qualities good. Physically fit and has good powers of endurance."
421:"A very keen zealous officer who has done well as Senior Officer Reserve Fleet. Has plenty of character and drive and is mentally alert. A good seaman and a sound administrator. Very loyal, while ambitious to do well. Good social qualities. Keeps fit."
505:
on 15 February 1941. Command of the Navy's largest capital ship was a major change, Kerr having only previously commanded destroyers. He took her to sea on the completion of her refit in mid March, and carried out gunnery exercises and patrols off
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on 30 August 1939. He remained at Rosyth with the Rosyth
Destroyer Force until 24 January 1940, spending time on the staff of the commander-in-chief, Rosyth. He was awarded the
30:
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and captain (D) of the 21st
Destroyer Flotilla. He stepped down from the position on 22 May 1936. His commander, Admiral Thomson, reported that he had found Kerr to be
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he rose through the ranks, being promoted to
Lieutenant on 28 February 1914. He served in the First World War, spending most of the period aboard the
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on 3 November 1936. As well as being the senior officer of the reserve fleet he then also became chief staff officer to the rear-admiral of the
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He had married
Margaret Augusta Kerr on 14 February 1920, the marriage producing two children, Russell and Jane. They resided in
436:. The appointment was cancelled before he could take it up, however. Instead, after a period of training, he became commander of
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Kerr was born on 16 August 1891, the only son of
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Russell Kerr, and his wife Lady Kerr, of
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Kerr was promoted to commander on 30 June 1927, and in
December 1928 he was given command of the destroyer
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379:. Promotion to captain followed on 30 June 1935, and on 6 September 1935 he became commander of the
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until
February 1931, and after a year on land, returned to sea in February 1932 in command of
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Kerr was to have then received an appointment to command the
Flotilla leader
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in May 1916, and by 1918 he had been given his own command, that of the
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413:, where he remained for the next year, until July 1937. Vice-Admiral
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310:. He joined the Royal Navy on 15 May 1904, and after service as a
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also produced a highly favourable report, noting that Kerr was
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264:(16 August 1891 – 24 May 1941) was an officer in the
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and as a tank commander, was killed while fighting in
533:. Kerr is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial.
549:. Russell Kerr, who had served as a captain in the
447:. During this period he served under Vice-Admiral
514:for just three months, when he was killed at the
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679:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
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247:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
694:Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II
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432:, where he would be captain (D) of the
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625:Casualty details—Kerr, Russell Charles
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669:Captains who went down with the ship
518:, along with most of his crew, when
689:Royal Navy officers of World War II
276:, and was killed in the sinking of
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699:Royal Navy officers of World War I
629:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
614:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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644:Kerr's biography at hmshood.com
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402:in July 1936, transferring to
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684:People from Newnham on Severn
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368:in August 1929. He commanded
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610:Casualty details—Kerr, Ralph
516:Battle of the Denmark Strait
466:, later transferring to the
455:. Kerr then took command of
391:Kerr became senior officer,
292:Battle of the Denmark Strait
223:Battle of the Denmark Strait
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495:Kerr took command of the
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332:. He was present at the
531:mentioned in dispatches
464:15th Destroyer Flotilla
443:and captain (D) of the
529:. He was posthumously
510:. He was commander of
445:2nd Destroyer Flotilla
434:8th Destroyer Flotilla
423:
389:
419:
411:10th Cruiser Squadron
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107:Years of service
218:Operation RheinĂĽbung
709:Royal Navy captains
674:Royal Navy officers
468:shore establishment
350:With the destroyers
268:. He served in the
704:People lost at sea
524:German battleship
415:Sir Gerald Dickens
285:German battleship
334:Battle of Jutland
304:Newnham on Severn
274:Second World Wars
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201:Battle of Jutland
110:1904 – 1941
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599:Kerr's biography
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522:was sunk by the
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156:Senior Officer,
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551:Royal Artillery
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381:Flotilla leader
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328:of Admiral Sir
308:Gloucestershire
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81:United Kingdom
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63:Denmark Strait
52:(aged 49)
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40:16 August 1891
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393:Reserve Fleet
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453:Dudley Pound
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213:Atlantic War
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50:(1941-05-24)
15:
664:1941 deaths
659:1891 births
196:World War I
48:24 May 1941
653:Categories
638:References
449:John Tovey
316:battleship
298:Early life
266:Royal Navy
259:Ralph Kerr
101:Royal Navy
69:Allegiance
22:Ralph Kerr
557:in 1945.
500:HMS
484:in 1940.
457:HMS
438:HMS
427:HMS
404:HMS
397:HMS
374:HMS
363:HMS
356:HMS
341:HMS
338:destroyer
319:HMS
278:HMS
183:HMS
176:HMS
169:HMS
162:HMS
150:HMS
143:HMS
136:HMS
129:HMS
56:HMS
526:Bismarck
473:Cochrane
462:and the
370:Thruster
365:Thruster
326:flagship
287:Bismarck
145:Thruster
125:Commands
87:Service/
508:Iceland
406:Colombo
399:Caledon
395:aboard
358:Windsor
343:Cossack
290:at the
283:by the
256:Captain
229:†
138:Windsor
131:Cossack
119:Captain
61:in the
54:Aboard
547:London
537:Family
478:Rosyth
429:Duncan
324:, the
321:Benbow
243:Awards
225:
164:Duncan
98:
89:branch
78:
561:Notes
555:Burma
476:, at
459:Broke
440:Hardy
376:Decoy
312:cadet
270:First
249:(CBE)
178:Broke
171:Hardy
152:Decoy
520:Hood
512:Hood
502:Hood
490:Hood
488:HMS
471:HMS
280:Hood
272:and
185:Hood
115:Rank
58:Hood
45:Died
37:Born
482:CBE
262:CBE
655::
627:,
612:,
569:^
545:,
346:.
306:,
294:.
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