User:MRJacoMorris

William Tennant (1890-1963) was an admiral of the Royal Navy (1948). During the years of World War I, as a young officer, he served on the destroyers and light cruisers of the Harwich Force and the Grand Fleet. During this time, he gained a wealth of experience from constant confrontations with German ships. After the war, Tennant served on number of Royal Navy cruisers, from light cruisers to battlecruisers. Being a navigation specialist, he spent some time working as an instructor in navigation school. He also spent a long time working in the various departments of the Admiralty responsible for strategic planning and fleet development. William Tennant's finest hour was at the end of May of 1940, when he was appointed as Senior Naval Officer at Dunkirk, where the evacuation of Allied troops took place. For several days, until the very last ships carrying British soldiers left the port, Tennant coordinated the evacuation process. Those who survived the "Miracle of Dunkirk" were so impressed by his energy and courage that they took to calling him "Dunkirk Joe." Four years later, the Allies returned, and among those who had planned Operation Overlord and spearheaded the landings in Northern France was Admiral William Tennant.