Robert John Prendergast

Admiral Sir Robert J. Prendergast, 1917.
Portrait: Francis Dodd. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1768).

Admiral SIR Robert John Prendergast, K.C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (9 July, 1864 – 14 May, 1946) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Prendergast was born in Dublin on 9 July, 1864, the son of Surgeon General Robert Keating Prendergast. At the examination for naval cadetships, he placed twenty-sixth out of the successful batch of forty-six candidates.

Prendergast was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 21 June, 1887.

On 4 July, 1888, he was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 52 for manoeuvres.

Prendergast was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1899.

Prendergast was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1903.

He was made captain of the armoured cruiser Essex in December, 1906.

He was appointed as Captain of the armoured cruiser Carnarvon in January, 1908.

He served as captain of Implacable from May, 1910 through November, 1911.

Great War

Prendergast was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 2 November, 1914. He was appointed Rear-Admiral at Scapa Flow on 7 May, 1916, with his flag in H.M.S. Imperieuse.

Post-War

Prendergast was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January, 1919. He was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands, dated 1 March. He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 31 July, 1919, in the place of The Hon. Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, promoted to the rank of Admiral. He was placed on the Retired List on 1 August. On 1 January, 1920, he was appointed an ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.). He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 31 July, 1924.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• "Admiral Sir Robert Prendergast" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 16 May, 1946. Issue 50453, col E, p. 7.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/88.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/42.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/20.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Godfrey H. B. Mundy	Captain of H.M. T.B. 52 4 Jul, 1888 – 25 Aug, 1888	Succeeded by James C. Tancred
Preceded by Herbert Orpen	Captain of H.M. T.B. 57 22 Jul, 1890 – 27 Aug, 1890	Succeeded by Clement Greatorex
Preceded by Douglas R. S. de Chair	Captain of H.M.S. Bacchante 1 Nov, 1906 – 27 Nov, 1906	Succeeded by The Hon. Robert F. Boyle
Preceded by The Hon. Robert F. Boyle	Captain of H.M.S. Leviathan 27 Nov, 1906 – 3 Dec, 1906	Succeeded by Henry H. Torlesse
Preceded by Henry H. Torlesse	Captain of H.M.S. Aboukir 3 Dec, 1906 – 1 Mar, 1907	Succeeded by Claud A. W. Hamilton
Preceded by Claud A. W. Hamilton	Captain of H.M.S. Essex 1 Mar, 1907 – 25 Jan, 1908	Succeeded by Robert F. Scott
Preceded by John M. de Robeck	Captain of H.M.S. Carnarvon 25 Jan, 1908 – 21 May, 1910	Succeeded by William F. Slayter
Preceded by Henry L. Tottenham	Captain of H.M.S. Implacable 21 May, 1910 – 14 Nov, 1911	Succeeded by Harry Jones
Preceded by Henry H. Torlesse	Captain Superintendent, Sheerness Dockyard 1 Dec, 1911 – 21 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by E. Hyde Smith as Senior Officer in Charge, Sheerness Dockyard
Preceded by Francis S. Miller	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Scapa 5 May, 1916 – 1 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by Merged with Orkneys and Shetlands
Preceded by Sir Herbert E. King-Hall as Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands	Vice-Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands 1 Mar, 1919 – 9 Jan, 1920	Succeeded by Command Abolished