Gerald Hollis World War II as he was colour blind. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1940, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1942. He served as a physical training officer at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon. The college was moved to Eaton Hall, Cheshire between 1943 and 1946, because of Nazi bombings. At the end of hostilities, Hollis felt drawn to holy orders: from 1945 to 1947, he trained for ordination at Wells Theological College. He was ordained into the Church of England in 1947 and then served his curacy at St Dunstan's,
Simon Williams (Royal Navy officer) Simon Williams (Royal Navy officer) Rear Admiral Simon Paul Williams, is a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Naval Secretary, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Personnel) and Flag Officer (Maritime Reserves) from March 2015 to June 2018. Educated at Kingsbridge School, the City University London and the Britannia Royal Naval College, Williams joined the Royal Navy in 1978. After taking charge of the minesweeper , he became Commanding Officer of the frigate in 2001 and of the frigate in 2005. He became Director of Naval Personnel Strategy at the Ministry of Defence in 2008, Commodore of the Britannia Royal