Lionel George Preston

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Admiral SIR Lionel George Preston, K.C.B., Royal Navy (27 September, 1875 – 21 September, 1971) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He would come to be the head of minesweeping operations in 1917.

Life & Career

He was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant dated 14 October, 1894.[1]

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant dated 1 April, 1897.[2]

On 7 April, 1908, Present was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 81, and of her flotilla.[3] On 17 November, 1909, he was reappointed in both capacities upon his promotion to Commander.[4]

Preston was appointed in command of the destroyer Tartar on 4 January, 1910.[5]

Great War

In December, 1914, Preston received uncommonly lavish praise when the Admiralty noted that in his destruction of mines at Scarborough, "the action taken by Commander Preston in "Skipjack" in anchoring among the mines & destroying them immediately after 2 trawlers had been mined was a splendid example to the mine-sweepers, maintained tranquillity amongst them & was certainly the cause of prevention of further loss of life or vessels." When the sweeping sloop Lilac struck a mine on 18 August, 1915, Preston helped salvage the vessel.[6]

Preston was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January, 1916.[7]

In February of, 1917, Preston gave up his appointment as Captain in Charge of Fleet Sweepers and was appointed to President to head up the Mine Sweeping Division.[8]

Post-War

He was appointed in command of the convoy sloop H.M.S. Windflower on 1 December, 1919 but this appointment was cancelled in favour of an appointment inside the Admiralty while awaiting the commissioning of H.M.S. Harebell. He would take command of her in March as Senior Officer, Patrol, Minesweeping and FIshery Protection Squadron. He was superseded in this post on 16 November, 1920.[9][10]

Preston was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 2 April, 1930, vice Grace.[11]

On 19 January, 1933 Preston succeeded Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham as Commandant, Imperial Defence College.[12] He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 28 February, 1934.[13]

Preston was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 16 January, 1935.[14]

World War II

Preston was called up to work with the Admiralty in a variety of positions. In 1940, he was made Director of the Small Vessels Pool. He would work within until 16 February, 1945 before being finally reverted to the Retired List on 29 March, 1945.[15]

Preston died on 21 September, 1971 at Dunstable aged ninety-five.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Eric W. Harbord 		Captain of H.M.S. Bruizer
22 Dec, 1905[16] – mid 1907 		Succeeded by
Francis A. W. Buller
Preceded by
Arthur G. Harris 		Captain of H.M. T.B. 81
7 Apr, 1908[17] – Dec, 1909[18] 		Succeeded by
Lionel G. Dawson
Preceded by
Valentine E. B. Phillimore 		Captain of H.M.S. Tartar
4 Jan, 1910[19] 		Succeeded by
Nigel K. W. Barttelot
Preceded by
Percy G. Brown 		Captain of H.M.S. Jason
Jun, 1913[20] – 3 Feb, 1914[21] 		Succeeded by
Harold E. Denison
Preceded by
Oswald T. Hodgson 		Captain of H.M.S. Skipjack
5 Mar, 1914[22] – 31 Dec, 1914[23] 		Succeeded by
Lionel G. Preston
Preceded by
Lionel G. Preston 		Captain of H.M.S. Skipjack
31 Dec, 1914[24] – 21 Jan, 1915[25] 		Succeeded by
Lionel G. Preston
Preceded by
Lionel G. Preston 		Captain of H.M.S. Skipjack
21 Jan, 1915[26] – Jun, 1915[27] 		Succeeded by
James H. Neild
Preceded by
? 		Captain of H.M.S. Lupin
9 Jun, 1916[28] 		Succeeded by
Richard J. R. Scott
Preceded by
New Appointment 		Director of the Minesweeping Division
23 May, 1917[29] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Gilbert O. Stephenson 		Captain of H.M.S. Eagle
2 May, 1923[30] – Apr, 1925[31] 		Succeeded by
William M. Kerr
Preceded by
Hugh D. Hamilton 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, Third Cruiser Squadron
Jan, 1927[32] – Feb, 1929[33] 		Succeeded by
Arthur J. Davies
Preceded by
Vernon Haggard 		Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
21 Apr, 1930[34] 		Succeeded by
Geoffrey Blake
Preceded by
Henry R. M. Brooke-Popham 		Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
19 Jan, 1933[35] 		Succeeded by
Sir Arthur M. Longmore

 

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26681. p. 6252. 19 November, 1895.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26838. p. 1882. 2 April, 1897.
  3. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 8 April, 1908. Issue 38615, col A, p. 9.
  4. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 11 November, 1909. Issue 39114, col D, p. 7.
  5. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 382.
  6. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79. f. 79.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29423. p. 80. (Supplement) 1 January, 1916.
  8. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 396p.
  9. ↑ "Naval Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 1 December, 1919. Issue 42271, col C, p. 20.
  10. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79. f. 79.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33596. p. 2327. 11 April, 1930.
  12. ↑ "Flag Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 19 August, 1932. Issue 46216, col B, p. 15.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34029. p. 1425. 2 March, 1934.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34125. p. 458. 18 January, 1935.
  15. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79. f. 79.
  16. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 287.
  17. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  18. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  19. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 382.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 334.
  21. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  22. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 374.
  23. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  24. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  25. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  26. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  27. ↑ Preston Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/79
  28. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1916). p. 395xx.
  29. ↑ The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 122.
  30. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 236.
  31. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  32. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.
  33. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.
  34. ↑ Day of year, only, taken from predecessor. Haggard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 238.
  35. ↑ "Flag Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 19 August, 1932. Issue 46216, col B, p. 15.

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