{{Short description|Royal Navy Admiral (born 1936)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Admiral | name = Sir Michael Layard | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|CBE}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|1|3|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = Royal Navy | service_years = 1954–1996 | rank = Admiral | service_number = | unit = | commands = Naval Home Command<br/>{{HMS|Cardiff|D108|6}}<br/>RNAS ''Culdrose''<br/>899 Naval Air Squadron | battles = Falklands War | awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire | relations = | other_work = }} Admiral '''Sir Michael Henry Gordon Layard''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|CBE}} (born 3 January 1936) is a retired senior Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord from 1992 to 1995.
==Naval career== Educated at Pangbourne College and the Britannia Royal Naval College, Layard was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1954.<ref name=debrett>Debretts People of Today 1994</ref> He trained as a fighter pilot and in 1970 he took command of 899 Naval Air Squadron flying Sea Vixens.<ref name=debrett/> He became Commander (Air) in {{HMS|Ark Royal|R09|6}} in 1977 and Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer, Naval Air Command in 1979.<ref name=debrett/> Promotion to captain followed on 30 June 1979.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47904 |supp=y|page=8997|date=16 July 1979 |nolink=y}}</ref> During the Falklands War he was Senior Naval Officer in the MV Atlantic Conveyor,<ref name=debrett/> which was sunk by two exocet missiles.<ref>{{cite news| last = Evans| first = Michael| title = Legal fears left Atlantic Conveyor defenceless| work = The Times| date = 11 December 2007| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3031542.ece | location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
Layard became Commander of RNAS ''Culdrose'' in 1982, Captain of the destroyer {{HMS|Cardiff|D108|6}} in 1984 and Director Naval Warfare (Air) at the Ministry of Defence in 1985.<ref name=debrett/> He went on to be Flag Officer Naval Air Command in 1988, Director General, Naval Manpower and Training in 1990 and Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1992 (and, concurrently, President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from 1993).<ref name=debrett/> From 1994 he was asked to combine this role with that of Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.<ref name=debrett/>
==Later life== In retirement Layard became a Trustee of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, and a Governor of Pangbourne College.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oldpangbournian.co.uk/op-admiral-and-college-governor-criticises-defence-review/|title=OP Admiral and College Governor criticises defence review|publisher=Old Pangbournian Society|accessdate=9 September 2015}}</ref>
Layard owns a 32-foot yacht, ''Banjo''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.directart.co.uk/mall/profiles.php?SigID=1357|title=Admiral Sir Michael Layard, KCB, CBE – Art prints and originals signed by Admiral Sir Michael Layard, KCB, CBE|work=directart.co.uk|accessdate=9 September 2015}}</ref>
==Family== In 1966 Layard married Elspeth Horsley Fisher. They have two sons.<ref name=debrett/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef | before=Sir Michael Livesay}} {{s-ttl | title=Second Sea Lord | years=1992–1995}} {{s-aft | rows=2 |after=Sir Michael Boyce}} |- {{s-bef | before=Sir John Kerr}} {{s-ttl | title=Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command | years=1993–1995}} |- {{s-court}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Edward Burgess}} {{s-ttl|title=Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State|years=1997–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Sir John Allison}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Layard, Michael}} Category:1936 births Category:Admiral presidents of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Category:Living people Category:People educated at Pangbourne College Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Royal Navy admirals