William Charles Fahie
| Sir William Charles Fahie | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1763 Saint Kitts, Leeward Islands |
| Died | 11 January 1833 Bermuda |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1777 to 1824 |
| Rank | Royal Navy Vice-Admiral |
| Commands held |
HMS Woolwich HMS Perdrix HMS Hyaena HMS Amelia HMS Ethalion HMS Belleisle HMS Malta Leeward Islands Station North America Station |
| Battles/wars |
American War of Independence • Battle of Cape St Vincent • Battle of Martinique • Battle of Saint Kitts • Battle of the Saintes French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars • Invasion of Martinique • Action of 14–17 April 1809 • Invasion of Guadeloupe |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Vice-Admiral Sir William Charles Fahie KCB (1763 – 11 January 1833) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer during the American War of Independence, French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Unusually, Fahie's service was almost entirely spent in the West Indies, where he had been born and where he lived during the time he was in reserve and in his retirement. After extensive service in the Caribbean during the American War of Independence, during which Fahie impressed with his local knowledge, Fahie was in reserve between 1783 and 1793, returning to service to participate in Sir John Jervis' campaign against the French West Indian islands in 1794.
Remaining in the West Indies during the following 20 years of warfare, Fahie rose through the ranks to command the ship of the line HMS Belleisle in the invasion of Martinique and HMS Pompee in the subsequent action of Action of 14–17 April 1809, capturing the French ship Haupoult. In 1810 he participated in the invasion of Guadeloupe and transferred to European waters for the first time since 1780. At the end of the war Fahie remained in service and eventually became commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands Station. He retired in 1824 and was subsequently knighted, settling in Bermuda with his second wife.
Fahie was born in Saint Kitts, one of the Leeward Islands, the son of a judge and part of a prominent family of Irish settlers. In 1777, aged 14, he was sent to serve in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War, joining HMS Seaford under Captain John Colpoys. Within a year he had moved to HMS Royal George, later transferring again to Sir George Rodney's flagship HMS Sandwich. On Sandwich he was engaged in the Battle of Cape St Vincent off Southern Spain in 1780. Appointed lieutenant in the aftermath of the action, Fahie returned to the West Indies on HMS Russell, serving at the Battle of Martinique and the Battle of Saint Kitts. Due to his knowledge of the island, Fahie was selected to take messages to the besieged garrison on Saint Kitts but was briefly captured in the attempt, before being released. He later served at the Battle of the Saintes.
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