William Pillar
| Sir William Pillar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 February 1924 |
| Died | 18 March 1999 (aged 75) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1942–1984 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral Sir William Thomas Pillar GBE KCB FIMechE (24 February 1924 – 18 March 1999) was Chief of Naval Support and a member of the Admiralty.
Educated at Blundell's School and latterly at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Pillar joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1942 during World War II. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant (Engineering Branch) on 1 June 1944. An acting lieutenant at the war's end, he was promoted to substantive lieutenant (E) on 3 June 1947 (seniority 1 October 1945). Following service in the Korean War he was promoted to lieutenant-commander (E) on 1 October 1953, to commander (E) on 31 December 1958 and to captain (E) on 31 December 1966.
He was appointed Assistant to the Director-General, Ships in 1970 and Commander of the Royal Naval Engineering College in 1973. Attaining flag rank as a rear admiral on 7 January 1976, he was made Port Admiral at Rosyth and then Assistant Chief of Fleet Support. Promoted to vice-admiral on 2 April 1979, he became the first Royal Navy engineer officer to be Chief of Fleet Support. He was appointed a KCB in the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours list, and was promoted to admiral on 5 January 1982. In 1982, he became Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies. Appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (GBE) in the Birthday Honours list the following year, he retired on 6 March 1984.
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