Admiral Sir Richard Henry Peirse, (4 September 1860 – 10 July 1940) was a senior

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

officer during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Naval career

Peirse joined the

in 1873 and, in 1885, developed a new naval director which was to become the fire-control system used in all ships with large guns. Promoted to captain in 1900, he commanded during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. Promoted to rear admiral in February 1909, Peirse was appointed Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station in 1913. Then promoted to vice admiral in October 1914, he served in the

taking part in the attack on

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

in 1915, where he outgunned the Turkish Fleet. He continued in his role on the East Indies Station until December 1915. He was promoted to admiral in March 1918. After the war Peirse became Naval Member of the Central Committee of the

Board of Invention and Research Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

. He retired from the navy in January 1919.

Personal life

Peirse lived in Upper Norwood in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and there is a memorial to him in Bedale Parish Church in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

. He and his wife lived for many years at Fiesole on Bathwick Hill in Bath, Somerset before moving to Belmont in

Combe Down Combe Down is a village on the outskirts of Bath, England in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Somerset. Combe Down village consists predominantly of 18th and 19th century Bath stone-built villa ...

, where he died in 1940. His son, Sir Richard Peirse, became air chief marshal.

Awards and decorations

Knight Commander of the 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 medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as o ...

– 22 June 1914 * Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 7 June 1918 *

Member of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

– 9 October 1903 * Legion of Honour, Grand officer (France) – 18 June 1918 *

Order of the Nile The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor. Sultana ...

, First Class (Egypt) – 25 October 1918

References

External links

Portrait painting of Admiral Sir R H Peirse
by Frederic Whiting {{DEFAULTSORT:Peirse, Richard 1861 births 1940 deaths Deputy Lieutenants of Somerset Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Navy admirals of World War I Royal Navy personnel of the Second Boer War Military personnel from York