Walter Reginald Glynn Petre

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Rear-Admiral (retired) Walter Reginald Glynn Petre, D.S.O., R.N. (14 December, 1873 – 26 December, 1942) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Petre gained five months' time on passing out of Britannia. His first naval service was aboard Orlando, on the Australia Station, appointed 17 October, 1889. On 18 December, he went to join Opal, but he returned to Orlando in May 1890 and remained in her through 9 May, 1893.[1]

Petre was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1896.[2]

Petre was appointed as first officer in Halcyon of the Special Service Squadron on 30 June, 1904, and then as first officer in Dido in the Channel 28 February, 1905.[3]

Petre was appointed as first officer in Natal of the Fifth Cruiser Squadron on 5 March, 1907, but was sent to Haslar Hospital on 2 May with a compound fracture to his left leg which he sustained in an accident handling an anchor. To add insult to this, a Court of Enquiry found that he had taken inadequate precautions in the mooring exercise. Petre was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1907 but remained unfit until 28 January, 1908.[4]

Petre was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1915.[5]

On 6 September, 1915, Petre came down with the flu. He was landed from Angora on the 9th and rejoined her on the 13th, but was not expected to be fit enough to return her to sea for another week. On 17 September, it was noted that "great credit due to him & all concerned for having successfully carried out a minelaying operation under adverse circumstances of wind & sea."

On 24 November 1916, Petre was granted two weeks leave in England.

On 17 January, 1917, Petre grounded Angora. In late March, he would ground Moorsom while passing through a channel. But in April, he was again praised for successful operations in the face of difficult conditions. Petre was awarded a D.S.O. for minelaying operations between 1 January, 1916 and 1 August, 1917, gazetted 1 October, 1917.[6]

Petre was appointed in command of the light cruiser Cleopatra on 29 November, 1918.[7]

Petre was placed on the Retired List at his own request on expiration of his foreign service leave upon his relief, on 21 March, 1923. He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 8 July, 1926.[8]

Though he offered his services in 1938, there is no indication that Petre served in World War II. He died of peritonitis and a perforated appendix in 1942.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Vincent L. Bowring
Captain of H.M. T.B. 102
5 Nov, 1900[9] – Dec, 1901[10]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Cecil H. France-Hayhurst
Captain of H.M.S. Fervent
21 Jun, 1902[11][12] – 15 Oct, 1903[13]
Succeeded by
Claude Seymour
Preceded by
Ernest S. Carey
Captain of H.M.S. Bittern
3 Jan, 1905[14] – 2 Oct, 1905[15]
Succeeded by
Percy G. Brown
Preceded by
Rowland H. Bather
Captain of H.M.S. Erne
2 Oct, 1905[16] – 28 May, 1906[17]
Succeeded by
Percy G. Brown
Preceded by
Mervyn H. Cobbe
Captain of H.M.S. Andromache
9 Jan, 1912[18][19] – 9 Feb, 1914[20]
Succeeded by
Reginald L. Crichton
Preceded by
Eric P. C. Back
Captain of H.M.S. Leviathan
8 Jul, 1914[21]c. 30 Jul, 1914[Inference]
Succeeded by
Marcus R. Hill
Preceded by
Forster D. Arnold-Forster
Captain of H.M.S. Apollo
22 Nov, 1914[22][23] – 10 May, 1915[24]
Succeeded by
Arthur E. Wood
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Angora
11 May, 1915[25][26] – 4 Apr, 1918[27]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
The Hon. Arthur C. Strutt
Captain of H.M.S. Cleopatra
29 Nov, 1918[28][29] – 4 Mar, 1919[30]
Succeeded by
Charles J. C. Little

Footnotes

  1. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  2. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  3. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  4. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  5. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  6. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  7. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 758.
  8. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  9. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  10. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/141/214.
  11. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  12. The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 256.
  13. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  14. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  15. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  16. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  17. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  18. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  19. The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 278.
  20. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  21. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  22. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  23. The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 392c.
  24. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  25. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  26. The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 400x.
  27. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  28. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.
  29. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p.758.
  30. Petre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/434. f. 485.

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