Percival Hall-Thompson
Percival Hall-Thompson | |
|---|---|
 Percival Hall-Thompson | |
| Born | 5 May 1874 Totton and Eling, Hampshire |
| Died | 6 July 1950 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1887–1932 |
| Rank |  Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Philomel |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George |
Admiral Percival Henry Hall-Thompson CB, CMG (5 May 1874 – 6 July 1950) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be First Naval Member & Chief of the Australian Naval Staff.
Early life
Hall-Thompson was born Percival Henry Hall Thompson, the son of Henry Hall Thompson and his wife, Agnes Spooner, on 5 May 1874 in Eling, Hampshire. Educated at a private school, he joined the Royal Navy in 1887 as a midshipman. He was posted to the training ship HMS Britannia as a cadet.[1]
Naval career
Hall Thompson served in a series of overseas postings,[1] including a period in Australia as Inspector of War-like Stores at Garden Island,[2] but by 1905 was based in London. He was promoted to post-captain in June 1913.[1]
In 1913, through the passage of the Naval Defence Act 1913, the New Zealand government formed the New Zealand Naval Forces. This was in response to the desire of the New Zealand Minister of Defence at the time, James Allen, who wanted to establish a local naval force which would co-operate with the fledgling Royal Australian Navy.[3] An approach was made to the British Admiralty for assistance and Hall-Thompson, who had hyphenated his name after his marriage to Helen Sidney Deacon in 1899, was accordingly appointed naval advisor to New Zealand. He commenced a three-year term on 1 May 1914, which also included command of HMS Philomel, a Pearl-class cruiser,[1] loaned to New Zealand as a seagoing training cruiser. He arrived in New Zealand with his family on 24 June 1914 and settled in Wellington to begin implementing a training program for New Zealand cadets. He took the Philomel on its first cruise in New Zealand service at the end of the following month but was almost immediately recalled to Wellington when it became apparent that war was to break out in Europe.[1]
First World War
After Philomel was hastily refitted for war service, Hall-Thompson took her into the South Pacific as an escort to the Samoan Expeditionary Force that captured German Samoa in September 1914. She then escorted the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) to Australia where it joined a convoy of troopships carrying men of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) destined for Egypt. Philomel continued with the convoy as an escort and once it reached the Middle East, was detached for operations in the Persian Gulf.[1]
By 1917, Philomel was worn out and returned to New Zealand. Hall-Thompson's active service in the war ended but once back in New Zealand, he advised on minesweeping operations.[4]
Later life
In 1920 he was given command of the battleship HMS Erin.[1] He became Aide-de-Camp to the King in 1922.[2] He was appointed First Naval Member & Chief of the Australian Naval Staff with effect from January 1924 and went on to command the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet from 1927 and the Reserve Fleet from 1929[5] before retiring in 1932.[1]
Later life
Hall-Thompson retired from the Royal Navy in 1932 with the rank of admiral. He lived in Kent until his death in 1950. He was survived by his wife, Helen Sidney Deacon, who he had married in 1899. The couple had four children,[1] including a son, Derrick, who also was a career officer in the Royal Navy, ending his career as a rear admiral.[6]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i McGibbon, Ian. "Hall-Thompson, Percival Henry 1874–1950". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ a b Naval Board Member The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 November 1923.
- ^ McLean 2000, p. 353.
- ^ Richard Guilliatt and Peter Hohnen (23 August 2009). "The Wolf at our door". The Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ Four New Admirals Evening Post, 23 May 1929
- ^ Derrick Henry Hall-Thompson at Unit Histories
References
- McGibbon, Ian (2000). "Hall-Thompson, Admiral Percival Henry". In McGibbon, Ian (ed.). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History. Auckland, New Zealand: Oxford University Press. p. 213. ISBN 0-19-558376-0.
- McLean, Gavin (2000). "Naval Defence Act 1913". In McGibbon, Ian (ed.). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History. Auckland, New Zealand: Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN 0-19-558376-0.
| Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces |  | |
|---|---|---|
| First Naval Members, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board |
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| Chiefs of the Naval Staff | ||
| Chiefs of Navy | ||