Harold Robert Priston

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Captain (retired) Harold Robert Priston, R.N. (30 January, 1885 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of R. B. Priston, Esq. was born in Chatham.[1]

Priston was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 November, 1905. Although an inspection of T.B. 27 showed the ship very neat and clean, Priston would be superseded in command of the boat in August 1906 after having disregarding the C-in-C's express orders about being on deck when colours are hoisted in the morning.[2]

Priston was awarded the Commander Egerton Prize for 1909.[3]

Priston was appointed to the battleship Prince of Wales as gunnery officer on 8 January 1913 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in this appointment on 30 November, 1913. He would incur Their Lordships' displeasure when he lost two confidential books in March, 1914. He remained with Prince of Wales until he was superseded on 23 May 1916. During about two months when he was nominally on the books at H.M.S. Excellent, Priston was loaned to the battleship King George V as gunnery officer.[4]

Priston was appointed to the super-dreadnought battleship Royal Sovereign as gunnery officer from 22 August 1916 through December, 1918, being promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1918.[5]

Priston was a member of a committee to consider and report on the communication needs within ships regarding torpedo and fire control purposes in April, 1919. After serving on a Fire Control Tables Development Committee in the early 1920s, Priston was placed on the Retired List on 5 February, 1923. He would continue to work in his retirement, spending elevent years as Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Naval Cordite Factory at Holton Heath, and then seven more as the Deputy Chief Superintendent of the Research Department, Woolwich.[6]

Priston was promoted to the rank of Captain on 20 July, 1936.[7]

World War II

His duties here are somewhat poorly defined in his Service Record.

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles Gill
Captain of H.M. T.B. 27
19 Jan, 1906[8][9] – 13 Aug, 1906[10]
Succeeded by
Salisbury H. Simpson

Footnotes

  1. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  2. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  3. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  4. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  5. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  6. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  7. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  8. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.
  9. The Navy List. (June, 1906). p. 399.
  10. Priston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/296. f. 152.