Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Donald Kelly GCB, GCVO (13 July 1871 – 4 November 1936) was a Royal Navy officer.

He served in the First World War as commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Dublin which came close to intercepting the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben.

[7] He went on to be a member of the teaching staff at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in July 1908 and, having been promoted to captain on 22 June 1911,[8] he became a member of the teaching staff at the Royal Naval War College in October 1912 and Captain of the School of Physical Training at Portsmouth in January 1913.

[9] Kelly's younger brother Howard, commanding the cruiser HMS Gloucester, also became involved in the subsequent chase.

[10] Howard Kelly continued to shadow the Germans, and at 8.30 p.m. Milne ordered HMS Dublin, sailing in company with two destroyers, to launch a torpedo attack that night.

[16] Kelly became Director of Operations at the Admiralty in July 1919 and acquired Greenham Hall at Wellington in Somerset for use as a country home in 1920.

[18] Promoted to rear admiral on 21 November 1921,[19] he became commander of the 4th Battle Squadron in July 1922 and took charge of a naval force dispatched to strengthen the Mediterranean Fleet during the Chanak Crisis in September 1922.

In the aftermath of the mutiny Kelly, known for his skill in personnel matters, was asked to take command of the Atlantic Fleet in October 1931.