Petty Officer (Tactical Systems) ( Submarines)
Kenneth Austin Victor
"Paddy"
KERR
Royal Navy
28

Paddy Kerr served in HMS DREADNOUGHT and CONQUEROR and in the Royal Naval Submarine School, HMS DOLPHIN, Gosport.
In 1979 he took a break from the RN to attempt to row single handed across the Atlantic in a 13 ft boat, Bass Conqueror. This ended in failure 58 days out from Newfoundland when his boat capsized in heavy weather. He was rescued after two days in a liferaft by a passing container ship. His boat later washed up on the Irish coast. He rejoined and was an instructor in the Attack Teacher in HMS DOLPHIN.
Kerr was determined to have another go. He refurbished the boat and set out again from Newfoundland on 21 May 1980. On 13 August he had contact with a passing merchant ship, the Dorsetshire, which gave him some food and water. The last radio message received from him was on 25 October, 156 days after he set out, by which time he must have been very close to completing the voyage. He was never heard of again but his boat was recovered near Stavanger in January 1981.