Royston Wright
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Royston Hollis Wright GBE
KCB
DSO
(29 September 1908 – 18 July 1977) was a senior Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
.
, Wright joined the Royal Navy
in 1927. In 1939 he was made Commanding Officer
of the destroyer
HMS Beagle
. In 1941 he went on to command the destroyer HMS Derwent which was badly damaged by a torpedo
in Tripoli Harbour
. In 1943 he took command of the destroyer HMS Hurworth which was later sunk later that year during the Aegean Campaign of World War II
.
In 1948 he took command of the destroyer HMS Wakeful. He went on to be Director of the Manning Department at the Admiralty
in 1950 before becoming Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier
HMS Triumph
in 1953. He became Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport
in 1955, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1956, Flag Officer Flotillas for the Home Fleet in 1958 and Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
in 1959.
He became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
in 1961: in this capacity he considered a plan to fly sailors' wives out to the Far East Fleet to reduce the strain of separation. He retired in 1965.
In 1969 he was Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889).
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Sir Royston Hollis Wright GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCB
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...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(29 September 1908 – 18 July 1977) was a senior 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 Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
.
Naval career
Educated at Haileybury College and the Royal Naval College DartmouthBritannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, Wright joined the 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...
in 1927. In 1939 he was made 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 destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle (H30)
HMS Beagle was a of the British Royal Navy that saw extensive service throughout World War II; in Norway, the Atlantic, North Africa, on Russian Convoys, and in the Normandy landings.-Construction:...
. In 1941 he went on to command the destroyer HMS Derwent which was badly damaged by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
in Tripoli Harbour
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. In 1943 he took command of the destroyer HMS Hurworth which was later sunk later that year during the Aegean Campaign of 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...
.
In 1948 he took command of the destroyer HMS Wakeful. He went on to be Director of the Manning Department 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...
in 1950 before becoming Commanding Officer 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 Triumph
HMS Triumph (R16)
HMS Triumph was a Royal Navy Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier. She served in the Korean War and later, after reconstruction, as a support ship.-Construction and commission:...
in 1953. He became Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
in 1955, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1956, Flag Officer Flotillas for the Home Fleet in 1958 and Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
in 1959.
He became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in 1961: in this capacity he considered a plan to fly sailors' wives out to the Far East Fleet to reduce the strain of separation. He retired in 1965.
In 1969 he was Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889).