Wilfrid Patterson


Sir Wilfrid Rupert Patterson was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was the Commodore Commanding His Majesty's Australian Squadron from September to November 1939. He participated in the naval battle that sunk the German battleship Bismarck.

Naval career

Born on 20 November 1893 in Belfast, Ireland, the son of William Robert Patterson and Elizabeth Fleming. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15 September 1906 and specialised in gunnery. He was appointed the Commodore Commanding His Majesty's Australian Squadron between 2 September 1939 and 1 November 1939.
In recognition of the role played while commanding in the destruction of the Bismarck, he was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath on 14 October 1941. He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 11 June 1946.
He was present at the surrender of the Japanese.