# Donald Gosling

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British businessman (1929–2019)

Sir Donald Gosling KCVO KStJ Gosling onboard HMS Victory, May 2012 Born Frederick Donald Gosling (1929-03-02)2 March 1929 Died 16 September 2019(2019-09-16) (aged 90) Allegiance United Kingdom Branch Royal Navy Royal Naval Reserve Service years 1944–2019 Rank Vice-Admiral (Honorary) Conflicts World War II Awards Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Bachelor Knight of the Order of St John Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia

**Sir Frederick Donald Gosling**, [KCVO](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Order) [KStJ](/source/Knight_of_Justice_of_the_Order_of_St_John) (2 March 1929 – 16 September 2019) was a British businessman, who was chairman of [National Car Parks](/source/National_Car_Parks). He served in the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) and later became an honorary vice admiral and a benefactor to naval charities.

## Business career

Gosling joined the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) in 1944 during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) and served in the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean) in the [cruiser](/source/Cruiser) [HMS *Leander*](/source/HMNZS_Leander).[1] After the War, together with Ronald Hobson, he founded Central Car Parks, when the pair invested £200 in a [bombsite](/source/Bombsite) in [Holborn](/source/Holborn), central [London](/source/London) to create a car park.[2] In 1959 Central Car Parks took over [National Car Parks](/source/National_Car_Parks) from Anne Lucas, the widow of Colonel Frederick Lucas.[3] Gosling co-chaired the business until he retired in 1998.[1]

## Retirement

Gosling became a trustee of the [Fleet Air Arm Museum](/source/Fleet_Air_Arm_Museum) at [Yeovilton](/source/Yeovilton) in 1974 and vice-president of [Seafarers UK](/source/Seafarers_UK) in 1993.[1] He was appointed honorary [captain](/source/Captain_(Royal_Navy)) of the [Royal Naval Reserve](/source/Royal_Naval_Reserve) (RNR) by the Queen in January 1993; he was subsequently promoted to commodore and then to honorary rear admiral of the Reserve.[4] He also had a long association with the White Ensign Association, serving as chairman from 1979 to 1983, vice president from 1983 to 1987 and then as president on the council of management under the patron, [The Prince of Wales](/source/Charles%2C_Prince_of_Wales).[5] In 1998 during the [Kosovo War](/source/Kosovo_War), Gosling arranged a rendezvous with the submarine [HMS *Splendid*](/source/HMS_Splendid_(S106)) aboard his motor yacht *[Leander G](/source/Leander_G)* to provide the men on board with fresh stores and allow them a few hours aboard the yacht in order to shower and rest.[6]

In April 2012, he became [Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom](/source/Vice-Admiral_of_the_United_Kingdom), an honorific position sub-ordinate to the [Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom](/source/Lord_High_Admiral_of_the_United_Kingdom), the [Duke of Edinburgh](/source/Prince_Philip%2C_Duke_of_Edinburgh).[7]

Gosling was [knighted](/source/Knight_Bachelor) in the [1976 Resignation Honours List](/source/1976_Prime_Minister's_Resignation_Honours)[8] and appointed Knight Commander of the [Royal Victorian Order](/source/Royal_Victorian_Order) (KCVO) in the [2004 New Year Honours](/source/2004_New_Year_Honours) for services to [The Duke of Edinburgh's Award](/source/The_Duke_of_Edinburgh's_Award) and the [Outward Bound Trust](/source/Outward_Bound).[9]

His interests included [yachting](/source/Yacht) and he owned the motor yacht *[Leander G](/source/Leander_G)* until she was sold in February 2016.[10]

Gosling died on 16 September 2019, aged 90, after a short illness.[11]

## Royal Naval Reserve ranks

- 27 January 1993 – May 2005: Captain (Honorary)[12]

- 31 May 2005 – March 2009: Commodore (Honorary)[13]

- 2 March 2009 – 2 April 2015: Rear Admiral (Honorary)[14]

- 2 April 2015 – 16 September 2019: Vice Admiral (Honorary)[15]

## Family and personal life

In 1959 Gosling married Elizabeth Shauna Ingram; together they had three sons before their marriage was dissolved in 1988.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WW_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WW_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-WW_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-WW_1-3) *[Who's Who](/source/Who's_Who_(UK)) 2010*, [A & C Black](/source/A_%26_C_Black), 2010, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-408-11414-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-408-11414-8)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3iSale_2-0)** ["Support Servies"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110612050638/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article543268.ece). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. Archived from [the original](http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article543268.ece) on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2016. (subscription required)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBCSale_3-0)** ["Millions for car park entrepreneurs"](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/68904.stm). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 24 March 1998. Retrieved 21 November 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Sir Donald Gosling authorised biography](http://debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/g/18464/(Frederick)%20Donald+GOSLING.aspx)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] Debretts.com

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Council](http://www.whiteensign.co.uk/wordpress/about-the-wea/organisation/council) The White Ensign [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120427032011/http://www.whiteensign.co.uk/wordpress/about-the-wea/organisation/council) 27 April 2012 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Sir Donald Gosling's superyacht memories](https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/sir-donald-gosling-s-superyacht-memories--1659), *Boat International*, 28 February 2010

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Windsor Castle](https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-british-monarchy/court-circular-23-april-2012/420110774684663) Court Circular, 23 April 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-The_Times_pg._2_8-0)** *The Times*, Thursday, 27 May 1976; pg. 2; Issue 59714; col B: "Sir Harold's resignation honours list in full"

1. **[^](#cite_ref-New_Year_Honours_List_9-0)** [New Year Honours List](https://web.archive.org/web/20100731055501/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/new-year-honours-diplomatic-service-and-overseas-list-757877.html) *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*, 31 December 2003

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Gosling, Donald. ["Sir Donald Gosling's superyacht memories"](http://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/sir-donald-gosling-s-superyacht-memories--1659). Boat International. Retrieved 12 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Tributes paid to millionaire car parking tsar who saved HMS Victory with £25m donation"](https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/tributes-paid-to-millionaire-car-parking-tsar-sir-donald-gosling-who-saved-hms-victory-with-25m-donation-1-9074697). *portsmouth.co.uk*. Retrieved 17 September 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["No. 53227"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/53227/supplement/3311). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 23 February 1993. p. 3311.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["No. 57693"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57693/supplement/8688). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 5 July 2005. p. 8688.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["No. 59029"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/59029/supplement/5961). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 7 April 2009. p. 5961.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** The Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2015, p.28

Honorary titles Preceded by Sir George Zambellas Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom 2012–2019 Succeeded by Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Donald Gosling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Gosling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Gosling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.