Lionel Preston
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Lionel George Preston KCB
(27 September 1875 – 21 September 1971) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Fourth Sea Lord
.
as a cadet aboard HMS Britannia
in 1888. He took part in the response to the Boxer Rebellion
in 1900 and served in World War I
commanded the Grand Fleet Minesweeping Flotilla from 1914 until 1917 when he became Director of the Minesweeping Division at the Admiralty
.
After the War he was in charge of the clearance of mines in British waters and then, from 1919, commanded patrol, minesweeping training and fishing protection flotilla. He was appointed Commanding Officer
of the Royal Navy Signal School at Portsmouth
in 1920 and then given command of the aircraft carrier
HMS Eagle
in 1923. He was given command of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron in 1926 and became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
in 1930. He was made Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
in 1933 and retired in 1935.
He also served in World War II
as Advisor on minesweeping and then, as the Director of Small Vessels Pool, he took charge of the provision of small craft for Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. In a "War Commentary" broadcast by the BBC
he made reference to "the futile years" when the United Kingdom supported the League of Nations
as a basis for its foreign policy. He retired again in 1945.
In retirement he became Chairman of Titanine Limited
, a business specialising in aircraft finishes. He lived in Chiltern Road in Dunstable
.
He also wrote the book "Sea And River Painters Of The Netherlands In The Seventeenth Century".
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(27 September 1875 – 21 September 1971) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who went on to be Fourth Sea Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
.
Naval career
Preston joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a cadet aboard HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
in 1888. He took part in the response to the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
in 1900 and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
commanded the Grand Fleet Minesweeping Flotilla from 1914 until 1917 when he became Director of the Minesweeping Division at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
.
After the War he was in charge of the clearance of mines in British waters and then, from 1919, commanded patrol, minesweeping training and fishing protection flotilla. He was appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Royal Navy Signal School at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in 1920 and then given command of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
in 1923. He was given command of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron in 1926 and became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in 1930. He was made Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
in 1933 and retired in 1935.
He also served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Advisor on minesweeping and then, as the Director of Small Vessels Pool, he took charge of the provision of small craft for Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. In a "War Commentary" broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
he made reference to "the futile years" when the United Kingdom supported the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
as a basis for its foreign policy. He retired again in 1945.
In retirement he became Chairman of Titanine Limited
Titanine, Incorporated (Union City, New Jersey)
Titanine, Incorporated was an industrial company which produced finishes for the aircraft industry. This included lacquers and aircraft dope....
, a business specialising in aircraft finishes. He lived in Chiltern Road in Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
.
He also wrote the book "Sea And River Painters Of The Netherlands In The Seventeenth Century".