John Ernest Troyte Harper

Vice-Admiral John E. T. Harper, 1920.
Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Vice-Admiral John Ernest Troyte Harper, C.B., M.V.O., Royal Navy, Retired (29 May, 1874 – 27 May, 1949) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

John Ernest Troyte Harper was born on 29 May, 1874 in New Zealand, the fifth son of Leonard Harper. He received his early education at Christ's College, New Zealand. He joined the Royal Navy as a colonial cadet, entering H.M.S. Britannia on 20 March, 1888. He was discharged in December, 1889 having gained eleven months' time on passing out of Britannia, and joined the old battleship Monarch in the Channel Squadron on 15 January, 1890. On 15 February he was rated Midshipman without examination. Monarch paid off on 13 May and on the following day Harper was appointed to the battleship Rodney. In his service record Captain Warren noted that he was a "Good boat Midshipman." On 22 July he was lent to Invincible for manœuvres. He left Rodney on 17 April 1891 for the cruiser Orlando.

Harper was given his first command when he was appointed to Dryad for command of Plucky on 22 February, 1906. He stayed in the old screw gunboat until 15 November, 1906.

Harper was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1906.

Great War

In June 1916, Harper assumed command of the light cruiser Gloucester. He was next appointed to command the armoured cruiser Minotaur, in February 1917.

Post-War

He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 August, 1924, vice Boyle.

He was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 3 July, 1926. On 30 August, 1926, Rear-Admiral Dudley Pound, about to take up the position of Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, wrote to Paymaster Commander J. R. Hemsted:

I remember you said that you might be going with Admiral Harper and should you be in any way committed to him and consider it necessary to consult with him I would ask that you should do it by telegram otherwise it will not be possible to get things fixed up. My information which is later than when I spoke to you on the subject is that in the near future he is likely to get a dockyard but not a seagoing command.

In spite of these predictions of employment, Harper was placed on the Retired List on 1 February, 1927, on account of non-service.

In 1968 James told the Second Earl Beatty that:

The mistake Wemyss made was in getting his old navigating officer, of no distinction, to prepare a record on Jutland, before the German reports of the battle were available.

Bibliography

• "Vice-Admiral J. E. T. Harper" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 28 May, 1949. Issue 51393, col D, p. 7.

Papers

• Papers in the possession of Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge.
• Papers in the possession of the British Library.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/43.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Abraham H. Lindesay	Captain of H.M.S. Plucky 22 Feb, 1906 – 15 Nov, 1906	Succeeded by George P. Ross
Preceded by Henry F. Oliver	Captain of H.M.S. Dryad Jun, 1906	Succeeded by Laurence E. Power
Preceded by ?	Assistant Captain of Portland Dockyard 10 Feb, 1914 – 10 Jun, 1914	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Assistant King's Harbour Master, Portland 10 Feb, 1914 – 10 Jun, 1914	Succeeded by Harold B. Bedwell
Preceded by Noel Grant	Captain of H.M.S. Carmania 28 Jun, 1915 – 10 Jun, 1916	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by William F. Blunt	Captain of H.M.S. Gloucester 10 Jun, 1916 – 4 Dec, 1916	Succeeded by Peter W. E. Hill
Preceded by Vincent B. Molteno	Captain of H.M.S. Minotaur 5 Feb, 1917 – Feb, 1918	Succeeded by Charles N. Tindal-Carill-Worsley
Preceded by Edward Reeves	Captain of H.M.S. St. Vincent 9 Jan, 1919 – 31 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Gerald W. Vivian
Preceded by John A. Webster	Director of Navigation 1 Aug, 1919 – 15 Nov, 1921	Succeeded by Frederick P. Loder-Symonds
Preceded by Cyril S. Townsend	Captain of H.M.S. Resolution 1 Aug, 1922 – 24 Apr, 1924	Succeeded by Charles T. Hardy