William Loring (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral Sir William Loring, KCB (31 October 1811 – 4 January 1895) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Australia Station from 26 March 1859 until 10 March 1860. He was also the Rear-Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard between 1870 and 1871.

Naval career
Born on 31 October 1811, the son of Admiral Sir John Wentworth Loring. He attended school at Twyford School, Hampshire before joining the Royal Navy in July 1826.

He was promoted to Lieutenant on 26 February 1836, and Commander on 27 August 1841. He served as Commander on HMS Scout on the East Indies Station in 1846. Promoted to Captain on 31 January 1848, he later received command of HMS Furious in 1852 on the Mediterranean Station and in 1854 participated in the Black Sea during the Crimean War. Later serving aboard HMS Iris on the East Indies Station from 24 December 1856, he was later appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the Australia Station from 26 March 1859 until 10 March 1860, as a Commodore second class, with his pennant aboard Iris. He participated in the attack on Puketakauere pā during the First Taranaki War in New Zealand.

Between 1862 and 1866 he commanded HMS Saturn, before being appointed Rear Admiral on 7 March 1866. He was the Rear-Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard between 1870 and 1871. He was later appointed Vice Admiral on 2 November 1871 and then Amiral on 1 August 1877. He retired on 23 November 1881.

He died on 4 January 1895 at Ryde on the Isle of Wight.