Charles Hester

Commander R.N.R. (retired) Charles Hester, R.D., R.N.R. (22 April, 1875 – ) was an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve.

Life & Career

Hester was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant R.N.R. on 18 March, 1911.

Hester was appointed Lieutenant in Command of the gunboat Cockchafer on 16 March, 1918. An S.206 evaluation form (or a memo alluding to one) is included in his Service Record. It describes him as being temperate and of average ability, but has unusually colourful remarks upon his manner of command, supplied by an unnamed Commander:

This officer was thoroughly unpopular with his ships company and officers. This could not be traced to any undue zeal but to a petty and vexatious manner and his habit of issueing [sic] innumerable orders in writing; most of these I considered unnecessary in such a small vessel. The officers believed that Lieut. Hester set a C.P.O. to see that they carried out his orders or report them to him and they complained of being watched at meals to see how much they ate. This was undoubtably true as Lt. Hester made entries in a note book concerning "number of fish cakes", etc.

I do not recommend this officer for command of a large vessel, and vessel he commands should be under the immediate eye of the Senior Officer, R.N.

Hester was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander R.N.R. on 18 March, 1919. He was demobilised upon his arrival in England, which proved to be 2 June, 1919.

Hester was placed on the Retired List on 22 April, 1920 and promoted to the rank of Commander R.N.R. on 4 April, 1921.

See Also

• Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Gordon L. Simner	Captain of H.M.S. Cockchafer 16 Mar, 1918 – 28 May, 1919	Succeeded by Quintin B. Preston-Thomas