In the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, a principal naval transport officer (P.N.T.O.) later known as principal sea transport officer (P.S.T.O.) is a shore-based

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

responsible for sea transport duties, and assisting the senior naval officer's area of command in the preparation of naval orders and conduct

disembarkation Disembarkation or debarcation/debarkation is the process of leaving a ship or aircraft, or removing goods from a ship or aircraft. ( ''debark'': from the French ''des'' meaning "from", and, ''barque'', meaning "small ship"). Civilian The loadin ...

s. British Dominion Navies also used the concept.

History

Principal Transport Officers of the Royal Navy had been in existence from at least 1868. The Naval Transports Service was created by the

on 22 December 1914. From 1915 to 1916 the

Eastern Mediterranean Squadron The Eastern Mediterranean Squadron later known as the British Aegean Squadron was a formation (military), naval formation of the Mediterranean Fleet based at Mudros from 1914 to 1916. It then alternated between Mudros on the island of Lemnos and Sa ...

had a principal naval transport officer based at

Mudros Moudros () is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula o ...

who held the rank of commodore. The officers were employed as part of the Naval Transport Service as part of the

Department of the Director of Transports The Sea Transport Branch of the British Board of Trade, originally established as the Transport Department or Naval Transport Department, was a logistical branch of the Department of Admiralty responsible for the provision of naval transportati ...

. In 1921 the ''Naval Transport Service'' was restyled as the ''Sea Transport Service''. of the Sea Transport Department. Naval officers were assigned to postings at various ports and naval bases through to 1970.

Locations of principal naval transport officers

Locations of principal sea transport officers

References

{{reflist Nautical terminology Royal Navy appointments

History

Locations of principal naval transport officers

Locations of principal sea transport officers

See also

References