William H. Barnes III

Captain, U.S. Navy

William H. Barnes III was born on 25 January 1924 in New Rochelle, NY; the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William H. Barnes, Jr. Bill graduated from the Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle in 1941. He enlisted in the Naval Reserves and later received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.

At the Academy, he played Varsity tennis, was Brigade Commander of the 6th Battalion, Chairman of the Hop Committee and Class Secretary. He graduated from the Academy with the Class of 1948. After graduation, he was assigned at the Academy as an Instructor in Marine Engineering. In 1949, he married Fay Anderson and they shared over 60 wonderful years together.

After leaving the Academy assignment, Bill later served on the USS Bairoko (CVE-115) and the USS Mansfield (DD-728). When Ensign Barnes served on the Mansfield, the ship was the lead ship of the famed 'Sitting Ducks" which led the Battle of Inchon, Korea, in September 1950. The commanding officer wrote in Barnes' fitness report "his performance as Machine Gun Control Officer was outstanding during the assault on the Inchon-Seoul Korea 13-23 September 1950 when under direct fire from enemy coast defense guns."

After Korea, Bill attended Submarine School in New London, CT, and qualified in submarines while serving on the USS Barb (SS-220) and later the USS Trumpetfish (SS-425).

Bill resigned from the Navy in 1955, and went on to receive his Master's Degree in 1958 at Georgetown University, where he also coached the Varsity tennis team.

Lieutenant Barnes then served in the Naval Reserve and later commanded Submarine Division 5-7 out of Baltimore. Under Bill's command they were awarded the Nimitz Trophy in 1968 as the number one submarine reserve division in the country. Bill was selected for promotion to the grade of Captain in the USNR in 1969 and retired from the Naval Reserves January, 1984.

Bill spent 30 years at the U.S. Navy Engineering Experimental Station later named the David Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development center in Annapolis. Bill was appointed head of the newly established Ship Acoustic Trials Group at the Annapolis Division of DTNSRDC which engaged primarily in acoustic research in nuclear submarines at sea. Bill received numerous achievement awards and peer recognition during his tenure at the Center.

Following his retirement from DTNSRDC, Bill worked as a consultant for Vector Research and Radix Corporation.

Bill loved music and dancing with his wife, Fay, especially jitterbugging to big band music. He loved people, had a great sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. An avid tennis player, Bill played in numerous tournaments and enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren the game of tennis.

Death and Burial

Captain William H. Barnes passed away on 8 March 2010 at the Mandrin Hospice House in Harwood, MD, of congestive heart failure at the age of 86. He is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD.

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