Ralph Kerr
| Ralph Kerr | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 16 August 1891 |
| Died | 24 May 1941 (aged 49) Aboard HMS Hood in the Denmark Strait |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1904 – 1941 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
HMS Cossack HMS Windsor HMS Thruster HMS Decoy Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet HMS Duncan HMS Hardy HMS Broke HMS Hood |
| Battles/wars |
Battle of Jutland Battle of the Denmark Strait |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) |
Captain Ralph Kerr CBE (16 August 1891 – 24 May 1941) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He served in the First and Second World Wars, and was killed in the sinking of HMS Hood by the German battleship Bismarck at the Battle of the Denmark Strait.
Kerr was born on 16 August 1891, the only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Russell Kerr, and his wife Lady Kerr, of Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire. He joined the Royal Navy on 15 May 1904, and after service as a cadet 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 battleship HMS Benbow, the flagship of Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee. He was present at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, and by 1918 he had been given his own command, that of the destroyer HMS Cossack.
Kerr was promoted to commander on 30 June 1927, and in December 1928 he was given command of the destroyer HMS Windsor, followed by HMS Thruster in August 1929. He commanded Thruster until February 1931, and after a year on land, returned to sea in February 1932 in command of HMS Decoy. Promotion to captain followed on 30 June 1935, and on 6 September 1935 he became commander of the Flotilla leader 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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