Alan Villiers

Alan Villiers
Alan Villiers aboard the Grace Harwar in 1929
Alan Villiers aboard the Grace Harwar in 1929
BornAlan John Villiers
(1903-09-23)23 September 1903
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died3 March 1982(1982-03-03) (aged 78)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Occupationjournalist, sailor, author
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAustralian
CitizenshipAustralian / British
Years active1928-1965
Notable worksWhalers of the Midnight Sun
Notable awardsChildren's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers 1950

Alan John Villiers, DSC (23 September 1903 – 3 March 1982) was a writer, adventurer, photographer and mariner.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Villiers first went to sea at age 15 and sailed on board traditionally rigged vessels, including the full-rigged ship Joseph Conrad. He commanded square-rigged ships for films, including Moby Dick and Billy Budd. He also commanded the Mayflower II on its voyage from the United Kingdom to the United States.[1]

Villiers wrote 44 books, and served as the Chairman (1960–70) and President (1970-74) of the Society for Nautical Research, a Trustee of the National Maritime Museum, and Governor of the Cutty Sark Preservation Society. He was awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross as a Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve during the Second World War.

  1. ^ "Alan Villiers". Oxford Index. Retrieved 13 July 2013.