Admiral Sir Royston Hollis Wright, GBE, KCB, DSO (29 September 1908 – 18 July 1977) was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.


Sir Royston Wright

Born29 September 1908
Died18 July 1977 (1977-07-19) (aged 68)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch Royal Navy
Years of service1927–1965
RankAdmiral
CommandsHMS Beagle
HMS Derwent
HMS Hurworth
HMS Wakeful
HMS Triumph
Flag Officer Flotillas for the Home Fleet
Flag Officer Scotland
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
edit

Educated at Haileybury College and the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, Wright joined the Royal Navy in 1927.[1] In 1939 he was made Commanding Officer of the destroyer HMS Beagle.[1] In 1941 he went on to command the destroyer HMS Derwent which was badly damaged by a torpedo in Tripoli Harbour.[2] In 1943 he took command of the destroyer HMS Hurworth which was later sunk later that year during the Aegean Campaign of World War II.[1]

In 1948 he took command of the destroyer HMS Wakeful.[3] He went on to be Director of the Manning Department at the Admiralty in 1950 before becoming Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Triumph in 1953.[3] He became Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport in 1955, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1956, Flag Officer Flotillas for the Home Fleet in 1958 and Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland in 1959.[3]

He became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1961: in this capacity he considered a plan to fly sailors' wives out to the Far East Fleet to reduce the strain of separation.[4] He retired in 1965.[1]

In 1969 he was Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889).[5]

Family

edit

In 1945 he married Betty Lilian Ackery; they had no children.[6] Lady Wright died on 1 January 1988.[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d HMS Hurworth Archived 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ HMS Hurworth - Battle Honours
  3. ^ a b c Royston Wright at Unit Histories
  4. ^ Paid holidays in the sun plan for naval wives The Straits Times, 23 July 1963
  5. ^ Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889) Archived 31 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ Betty Lilian Ackery at Unit Histories
  7. ^ "No. 51223". The London Gazette. 27 January 1988. p. 973.
Military offices
Preceded by Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
1959–1961
Succeeded by
Preceded by Second Sea Lord
1961–1965
Succeeded by