Principal naval transport officer (Royal Navy)

In the Royal Navy, a principal naval transport officer (P.N.T.O.) later known as principal sea transport officer (P.S.T.O.) ^[1] is a shore-based flag officer or captain responsible for sea transport duties, and assisting the senior naval officer's area of command in the preparation of naval orders and conduct disembarkations.^[2] British Dominion Navies also used the concept.

Principal Naval Transport Officer Principal Sea Transport Officer
Country	United Kingdom
Service branch	Royal Navy
Abbreviation	PNTO PSTO

History

Principal Transport Officers of the Royal Navy had been in existence from at least 1868.^[3] The Naval Transports Service was created by the Royal Navy on 22 December 1914.^[4] From 1915 to 1916 the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron had a principal naval transport officer based at Mudros 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.^[5] In 1921 the Naval Transport Service was restyled as the Sea Transport Service.^[6] 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

Post Holder	Date(s)	Ref
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Alexandria	1915	[7]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Archangel	1916	[8]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Australia	1914	[9]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Cardiff	1915–1921	[10]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Egypt	1915–1918	[11][12]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, East Indies	1931	[13]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, France	1915–1919	[14][15]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Le Havre	1914	[16]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Liverpool	1915–1921	[17]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Marseilles	1916–1919	[18]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, New Haven	1918–1919	[19]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Mudros	1915–1916	[20]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, South Africa	1914	[21]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Southampton	1914–1921	[22][23]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, St. Nazaire	1916	[24]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Taranto	1917	[25]

Locations of principal sea transport officers

Post Holder	Date(s)	Ref
Principal Sea Transport Officer, Australia	1946	[26]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, British Army of the Rhine	1946	[27]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, Clyde and Scottish Ports	1940–1946	[27][28]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, East Indies	1946	[27]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, India	1939–1945	[29]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, Middle East	1939–1945	[30]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, North West Ports	1946	[27]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South Coast	1946	[27]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South East Asia Command	1946	[31]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South East Coast	1946	[27]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South Wales	1946	[27]

See also

• Divisional transport officer

References

1. Titterton, G. A. (2002). "Abbreviations". The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean. Cambridge, England: Psychology Press. p. viii. ISBN 9780714651798.
2. War Office, The (1914). Field service pocket book, 1914. London, England: London : printed under the authority of H.M.S.O. by Harrison & Sons. p. 80.
3. "Statistical Return by Captain Tryon, Principal Transport Officer, Naval Transport Department". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: National Archives UK. September 1868. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
4. Great Britain, Admiralty The (1928). The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. London England: Harrison and Sons. p. 459.
5. Mace, Martin (2014). The Royal Navy and the War at Sea 1914-1919. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. p. 171. ISBN 9781781593172.
6. MacFarlane, John M. "British Naval Reserve Organizations". www.nauticapedia.ca. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
7. "Principal Naval Transport Officer, Alexandria Particulars of officers and crews of prize and detained ships requisitioned for military purposes". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: National Archives UK. 1915. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
8. "Shipment of motor launch for Principal Naval Transport Officer, Archangel". nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives UK. 1916. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
9. Stevens, Dr David. "Australian Sea Transport 1914". www.navy.gov.au. Sea Power Centre, Department of Defence, Australia. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
10. "Office Furniture. Approval asked for by Principal Naval Transport Officer, Cardiff, for..." nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, London: National Archives UK. 1916. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
11. "Naval Transport work, Egypt. Letter of proceedings No.28 from the Principal Naval..." nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: National Archives, UK. 1916. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
12. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (27 August 2018). "Egypt - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
13. "Position and designation of Royal Indian Marine officers in regard to sea transport duties. Substitution of the title "Principal Sea Transport Officer. East Indes" for Principal Naval Transport Officer, East Indes". nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives UK. 1931. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
14. "Principal Naval Transport Officer, France. Letter of proceedings, 21st December 1915 to 4th January, 1916". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: The National Archives. 1916. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
15. Hraley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (23 August 2018). "France - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
16. "Report of Proceedings from Principal Naval Transport Officer, Havre". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, London: National Archives UK. 1914. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
17. "Liverpool. Accommodation of staff of Principal Naval Transport Officer". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: The National Archives UK. 1916. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
18. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (23 August 2018). "Marseilles - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
19. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (23 August 2018). "Marseilles - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
20. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (5 February 2019). "Mudros - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
21. "Minute No. 103 of the Interdepartmental Conference. Duties and Status of Principal Naval Transport Officer, South Africa, during the War". nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives UK. 1914. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
22. "Plimsoll Marks on Transports. Instructions to Principal Naval Transport Officer, Southampton". .nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: National Archives. 1915. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
23. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (2 December 2018). "Southampton - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
24. "Principal Naval Transport Officer's (St. Nazaire) report of proceedings". nationalarchives.gov.uk. Kew, England: National Archives Uk. 1914. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
25. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony (23 August 2018). "Taranto - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
26. Admiralty, Great Britain (July 1946). The Navy List. London, England: HM Stationery Office. p. 2261.
27. The Navy List July 1946
28. Osborne, Brian D.; Armstrong, Ronald (2005). Glasgow: A City at War. Edinburgh, Scotland: Birlinn. p. 156. ISBN 9781843410287.
29. Collins. I.N., Instructor Lt. D.J.E. (1939–1945). "HyperWar: The Royal Indian Navy (Chapter 11)". www.ibiblio.org. HyperWar Foundation. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
30. Brown, David (2013). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.I: September 1939 – October 1940. Oxford, England: Routledge. p. 116. ISBN 9781135281540.
31. McMillan, Richard (2006). The British Occupation of Indonesia: 1945–1946: Britain, The Netherlands and the Indonesian Revolution. Oxford, England: Routledge. p. 192. ISBN 9781134254286.