Henry Francis Morton Peto

Commander (retired) Henry Francis Morton Peto (18 November, 1889 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Lyndhurst, Peto gained three and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia on 15 May 1906 and was appointed to join Vengeance, where Captain Anson recorded that he was "inclined to be lazy & careless but improving." After almost precisely two years in Vengeance, Peto was appointed to Duncan in the Atlantic on 5 May, 1908 where he would spend fourteen months. After a little under two months' time in the new dreadnought Superb, Peto commenced Part I on 14 September, 1909 and passed. He started Part II on 6 April, 1910.

Peto was appointed to Griffon for the Annual Manoeuvres in summer 1910 and then to lent to St. George on 10 August, 1910. Peto next served in Warrior and Defence, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 April, 1911 and received his Watch Keeping certificate in May, 1911. Peto remained in Defence in lieu of a sublieutenant until 15 August, 1911 when he was appointed to Arrogant for a course in submarines. He then served on the books of Arrogant and Vulcan for service in submarines until being appointed to C 28 on 8 November, 1914. He left her upon being appointed in command of A 12 on 3 April, 1915.

Peto commanded a variety of other submarines during the war, including the diminutive A 12 between Aprill 1915 and April, 1916. On 23 March 1917, Peto was appointed in command of E 11 and served in her until the end of the war.

Post-War

On 20 December 1918, Peto was temporarily appointed in command of the captured German submarine U 90. This appointment ended on 15 January, 1919 when he was to assume command of L 19 upon her commissioning.

Peto was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 April, 1919.

Peto was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Arrogant on 27 September, 1920.

In 1923, Peto's M 2 collided with Cyclops and he was cautioned to exercise greater care in future. On 25 January, 1924, Peto was found in a medical examination to have repressed nervousness about diving his boat. When due consideration was given to Peto's statements, concern was shown for his pupils' behaviour to light seeming to suggest "nervous instability" and he was diagnosed as "slightly neurasthenic". Such a label was enough in the competitive post-war navy to warrant his reversion to General (as opposed to Submarine) Service in February, 1924.

Having suffered a bout of influenza in eraly 1929, Peto was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 6 August, 1930.

World War II

Peto started a six month long course in Ordnance Inspection Duties on 22 May 1939, but on 1 September was appointed to be D.I.N.O., Plymouth. On 1 May 1941, he was appointed to duty at Lyness on the stafff of D.I.N.O, Home Fleet, vice Commander Proctor. In 1943 he was appointed N.O.I.C. (?), Chatham. At some later date, he was appointed Fleet N.O.I.C., Glasgow. He reverted to the Retired List on 11 November, 1945.

In November, 1948, Peto was appointed Sheriff of the county of Dorsetshire.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by David M. Fell	Captain of H.M.S. A 12 3 Apr, 1915 – 1 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Claud L. Y. Dering	Captain of H.M.S. C 9 1 Apr, 1916 – 5 Mar, 1917	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Martin E. Dunbar-Nasmith	Captain of H.M.S. E 11 23 Mar, 1917 – Dec, 1918	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Captain of S.M.S. U 90 20 Dec, 1918 – 13 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. L 19 15 Jan, 1919 – 11 Jun, 1919	Succeeded by William R. Richardson
Preceded by Geoffrey R. S. Watkins	Captain of H.M.S. L 17 11 Jun, 1919 – 24 Sep, 1919	Succeeded by Charles de Burgh
Preceded by Ronald W. Blacklock	Captain of H.M.S. L 12 28 Jun, 1920 – Aug, 1920	Succeeded by Theodore F. A. Voysey
Preceded by John G. Bower	Captain of H.M.S. Arrogant 27 Sep, 1920 – 18 Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Hubert Vaughan-Jones
Preceded by Alfred G. Hine	Captain of H.M.S. M 2 15 Aug, 1922 – 25 Jan, 1924	Succeeded by Alec M. Carrie
Preceded by Forbes S. Duncan	Captain of H.M.S. Tiverton 10 Jul, 1924 – 22 Aug, 1924	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Stephen Phillimore	Captain of H.M.S. Dwarf 22 Aug, 1924 – 7 Jan, 1926	Succeeded by ?

Footnotes

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