Admiral Sir Raymond (‘Ray’) LYGO KCB

Ray Lygo was one of only two men to go from Ordinary Seaman (or the equivalent) to Admiral in the 20th Century.

Before WW 2 he had joined ‘The Times’ as an office boy, and rose to be a proof reader.  He joined the Navy as a Naval Airman 2nd class in 1940 and was selected to train as a Pilot, being commissioned on 1 April 1944, as a  Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenant (A) RNVR.  He took part in operations against the Tirpitz and later went out to the Far East in Indefatigable and flew in all the operations in the Pacific.

He was granted a permanent RN commission in 1948 and thereafter rose steadily.  He commanded Lowestoft, Juno and Ark Royal: in Ark he had a brush with a Soviet destroyer, which resulted in a dent to Ark  and the loss of some men in the Russian.  In due course, he became VCNS, and in 1977, when there was a slight hiatus in the Flag list (Admiral Ashmore, 1SL, became CDS unexpectedly, and Admiral Lewiin, his designated successor was not immediately available), Ray Lygo became caretaker 1SL.

In retirement he joined British Aerospace and worked his way up to be Chairman.

He continued to fly his own light aircraft until within a few months of his death.