Philip Watson

Vice-Admiral Sir Philip Alexander Watson, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2009) was a senior Royal Navy officer, rising to the rank of vice-admiral.

Naval career Watson was born on 7 October 1919 at 93 Limestone Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland to Alexander Henry St Croix Watson (1885–1963) and Gladys Margaret Watson (née Payne). He was baptised on 30 January 1920 and confirmed at St Albans Abbey on 6 December 1934. Educated at St. Albans School he trained as an electrical engineer with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and joined the Admiralty Compass Observatory, Slough, serving until 10 March 1940 when he was commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve as an Electrical Sub Lieutenant. He served in on the Arctic convoys from the United Kingdom to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk; in (Assistant Torpedo Officer) and was at the German surrender at Trondheim when serving in as Torpedo Officer. He was then transferred to the Royal Navy as a lieutenant in 1946, and served as Naval Assistant to Admiral Bateson.

Watson served with the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, with the s and , before moving to the Admiralty in London. A spell at as assistant to the training commander followed, with Watson being promoted to lieutenant-commander. He spent two years with the radio section at Malta Dockyard, before becoming electrical officer in in 1954. He became chairman of Marconi Radar Systems between 1981 and 1985.

Before his retirement to Oxfordshire he was a member of the Army and Navy Club and the Bath and County Club. He remained active in the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the City of Oxford Society of Model Engineers.

He died on 8 December 2009.

Honours and awards