Editing Robert Don Oliver (section)

==Naval career==
Oliver served in [[World War I]] taking part in the [[Battle of the Falkland Islands]] in 1914, fighting at [[Gallipoli]] in 1915 and then undertaking mine-laying off the German and Belgian coast.<ref name=nmm>[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=MED2043&picture=3 National Maritime Museum]</ref> Promoted to [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]], he was given command of [[HMS Iron Duke (1912)|HMS ''Iron Duke'']] in 1939.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/OLIVER.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref>

He also served in [[World War II]] and was commanding [[HMS Devonshire (39)|HMS ''Devonshire'']],<ref>[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1176.html HMS Devonshire at www.uboat.net]</ref> a heavy [[cruiser]], on 21 November 1941, when he was informed that codebreakers had determined that German [[U-boat]]s were going to be surfacing near him, to refuel from a [[merchant raider]], the [[cruiser|Hilfskreuzer]] (cruiser) [[German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis|''Atlantis'']]. Using the intelligence, ''Devonshire'' sunk ''Atlantis''.<ref>[http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/1941SOND.html Churchill Society]</ref> He later commanded the gunnery school [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']] and then the cruiser {{HMS|Swiftsure|08|6}}.<ref name=lh/>

After the War he was appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Weapons) and then [[Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (United Kingdom)|Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff]] in 1946.<ref name=lh/> His last appointment, in 1947, was as Flag Officer commanding the 5th Cruiser Squadron,<ref name=lh/> before he retired on 26 September 1948, and was promoted to [[Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|vice-admiral]] on the same day.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38461|page=6076| date=19 November 1948}}</ref>

In retirement he became [[Deputy Lieutenant]] of [[Roxburghshire]].<ref name=unit>[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersO.html#Oliver_RD Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945]</ref>