Percival Henry Hall-Thompson
| Percival Hall-Thompson | |
|---|---|
Rear Admiral Percival Hall-Thompson c. mid-1920s
|
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| Born |
5 May 1874 Totton and Eling, Hampshire |
| Died | 6 July 1950 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1887–1932 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held |
Reserve Fleet (1929–30) 3rd Battle Squadron (1927–28) Chief of the Australian Naval Staff (1924–26) HMS Erin (1919–21) HMS Philomel (1914–19) HMS Medea (1909–12) |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards |
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class (Japan) |
Admiral Percival Henry Hall-Thompson CB, CMG (5 May 1874 – 6 July 1950) was a Royal Navy officer who played a key role in the development of the New Zealand Naval Forces and also served in the First World War as commander of the HMS Philomel. He went on to be First Naval Member and Chief of the Australian Naval Staff.
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.
Hall Thompson served in a series of overseas postings, including a period in Australia as Inspector of War-like Stores at Garden Island, but by 1905 was based in London. He was promoted to post-captain in June 1913.
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. 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, 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.
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