Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

It is with great sadness that I advise the passing of NOC member Vice Admiral Ian Knox AC RAN Ret'd.  The following signal has been released by Chief of Navy:

IT IS WITH DEEP SADNESS THAT I ADVISE THE PASSING OF FORMER VICE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCE, VICE ADMIRAL IAN WARREN KNOX, AC, RAN RTD AT THE AGE OF 90.

IAN KNOX WAS BORN IN WILCANNIA IN NSW ON 09 FEB 33 AND ATTENDED THE WILCANNIA PRIMARY SCHOOL. HE SPENT THREE YEARS AT PRINCE ALFRED COLLEGE IN ADELAIDE FROM 1944 TO 1946 BEFORE JOINING THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY IN JAN 47

AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVAL COLLEGE IN OCT 50 HE UNDERTOOK TRAINING AT SEA AND ASHORE IN THE UK AND AUSTRALIA AND SERVED AT SEA UNTIL 1957. HE THEN SPECIALISED IN TORPEDO AND ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE IN THE UK AND HE WAS AWARDED THE OGILVY MEDAL FOR DUX OF THE COMMONWEALTH LONG TAS COURSE. FROM 1960-63 HE WAS THE ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE PROJECT OFFICER AT THE AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH LABORATORY IN MELBOURNE

AFTER FURTHER POSTINGS AT SEA AND ON STAFF AT THE NAVY OFFICE IN CANBERRA, HE WAS POSTED AS SECOND IN COMMAND OF HMAS PERTH AND SERVED IN THAT CAPACITY DURING THE SHIP'S FIRST DEPLOYMENT TO VIETNAM IN 1967. IN 1968 HE WAS PROMOTED TO CMDR AND APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF UNDERWATER WEAPONS IN THE NAVY OFFICE. HE WAS THE FIRST COMMANDING OFFICER OF HMAS TORRENS UPON ITS COMMISSIONING IN 1971. KNOX ATTENDED THE UNITED STATES NAVAL WAR COLLEGE AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND IN 1972-73. ON COMPLETION HE WAS PROMOTED CAPT AND ASSIGNED COMMAND OF THE GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER, HMAS HOBART

IN 1975 HE WAS POSTED TO THE STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE AND WAS THE DEFENCE MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION TO THE THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH SESSIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS LAW OF THE SEA CONFERENCE IN GENEVA AND NEW YORK

HE ATTENDED THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE STUDIES IN LONDON IN 1979 BEFORE BEING PROMOTED TO CDRE AND ASSUMING COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMAS MELBOURNE. ON PROMOTION TO RADM IN 1982, HE WAS APPOINTED CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND PLANS, AND AFTER TWO YEARS WAS APPOINTED DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF. HE ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE FLEET AND MARITIME COMMANDER, AUSTRALIA, IN MAY 85. IN JAN 87 HE RETURNED TO CANBERRA AS ASSISTANT CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE (POLICY). HE WAS PROMOTED TO VICE ADMIRAL IN JUL 87 AND BECAME VICE CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE

HE WAS APPOINTED AN OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AO) IN THE 1985 QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST AND ELEVATED TO COMPANION OF THE ORDER (AC) IN THE 1989 LIST FOR SERVICE TO THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE AS VICE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCE

SINCE RETIRING FROM THE RAN IN SEP 89 HE SERVED ON THE BOARDS OF AUSTRALIA SONAR SYSTEMS, OCEANIC CAPITAL CORPORATION AND THOMPSON-CSF PACIFIC HOLDINGS. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER FOR THE NSW LEGAL SERVICES DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL AND THE DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF ECONOMICS, SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, ADVISORY COMMITTEE. HE JOINED SYDNEY LEGACY IN 2000 AND WAS A LEGATEE IN THE MOSMAN/LANE COVE DIVISION

ON BEHALF OF THE SERVING MEMBERS OF THE NAVY I EXTEND OUR CONDOLENCES TO VICE ADMIRAL KNOX’S FAMILY. A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD AT GARDEN ISLAND CHAPEL ON 09 FEB 24 AT 1000