Bill King, one of the last surviving World War II submarine commanders and a single-handed circumnavigator, died yesterday at his home at Oranmore Castle in County Galway, Ireland.  His family issued a statement which reads, “Commander Bill DSO, DSC submariner and yachtsman set off on a new voyage on September 21st, 2012 aged 102 years.  He was surrounded by the loving care of his daughter Leonie and son Tarka…”

Oldest War submarine commander dies at 102

From our previous post, Belated Happy 100th Birthday Wishes to Bill King, World War II Sub Commander and Adventurer of June 2010:

We are five  days late but nevertheless would like to wish Commander William Donald Aelian “Bill” King a most happy 100th birthday.  He is only living submarine commander from World War II.  He initially served on the battleship, HMS Resolution, and later becoming commanding officer of HMS Snapper, an S class submarine and then of HMS Trusty and HMS Telemachus, both T class submarines. During the war, he was promoted to Commander and awarded seven medals.

Later, at age 58, King  became the oldest competitor in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the first round the world solo yacht race.   Sailing a junk rigged schooner,the Galway Blazer II, he was dismasted in the South Atlantic. He succeeded in cirumnavigating single handed on his third attempt in 1973, despite a collsion with a whale or large shark which almost sank  his boat.