Principal naval transport officer (Royal Navy) explained

Principal Naval Transport Officer Principal Sea Transport Officer
Abbreviation:	PNTO PSTO

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.

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	19151921	^[10]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Egypt	19151918	^[11] ^[12]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, East Indies	1931	^[13]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, France	19151919	^[14] ^[15]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Le Havre	1914	^[16]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Liverpool	19151921	^[17]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Marseilles	19161919	^[18]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, New Haven	19181919	^[19]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Mudros	19151916	^[20]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, South Africa	1914	^[21]
Principal Naval Transport Officer, Southampton	19141921	^[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	19401946	^[28]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, East Indies	1946
Principal Sea Transport Officer, India	19391945	^[29]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, Middle East	19391945	^[30]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, North West Ports	1946
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South Coast	1946
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South East Asia Command	1946	^[31]
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South East Coast	1946
Principal Sea Transport Officer, South Wales	1946

See also

• Divisional transport officer

Notes and References

1. Book: Titterton . G. A. . The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean . 2002 . Psychology Press . Cambridge, England . 9780714651798 . viii . https://books.google.com/books?id=hS_895OalVAC&q=Divisional+Sea+Transport+Officer+%28DSTO%29&pg=PR32 . en . Abbreviations.
2. Book: War Office . The . Field service pocket book, 1914 . 1914 . London : printed under the authority of H.M.S.O. by Harrison & Sons . London, England . 80 .
3. Web site: Statistical Return by Captain Tryon, Principal Transport Officer, Naval Transport Department . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . September 1868.
4. Book: Great Britain . Admiralty The . The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service . 1928 . Harrison and Sons . London England . 459 . en.
5. Book: Mace . Martin . The Royal Navy and the War at Sea 1914-1919 . 2014 . Pen and Sword . Barnsley, England . 9781781593172 . 171 . en.
6. Web site: MacFarlane . John M. . British Naval Reserve Organizations . www.nauticapedia.ca . 4 October 2018 . en.
7. Web site: Principal Naval Transport Officer, Alexandria Particulars of officers and crews of prize and detained ships requisitioned for military purposes. . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1915.
8. Web site: Shipment of motor launch for Principal Naval Transport Officer, Archangel . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . 1916.
9. Web site: Stevens . Dr David . Australian Sea Transport 1914 . www.navy.gov.au . Sea Power Centre, Department of Defence, Australia . 5 February 2019 . en.
10. Web site: Office Furniture. Approval asked for by Principal Naval Transport Officer, Cardiff, for... . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, London . 1916.
11. Web site: Naval Transport work, Egypt. Letter of proceedings No.28 from the Principal Naval... . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives, UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1916.
12. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Egypt - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 27 August 2018.
13. Web site: 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 . 5 February 2019 . 1931.
14. Web site: Principal Naval Transport Officer, France. Letter of proceedings, 21st December 1915 to 4th January, 1916. . nationalarchives.gov.uk . The National Archives . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1916.
15. Web site: Hraley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . France - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 23 August 2018.
16. Web site: Report of Proceedings from Principal Naval Transport Officer, Havre. . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, London . 1914.
17. Web site: Liverpool. Accommodation of staff of Principal Naval Transport Officer. . discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk . The National Archives UK . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1916.
18. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Marseilles - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 23 August 2018.
19. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Marseilles - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 23 August 2018.
20. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Mudros - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 29 September 2018 . en . 5 February 2019.
21. Web site: 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 . 5 February 2019 . 1914.
22. Web site: Plimsoll Marks on Transports. Instructions to Principal Naval Transport Officer, Southampton. . .nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1915.
23. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Southampton - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 2 December 2018.
24. Web site: Principal Naval Transport Officer's (St. Nazaire) report of proceedings. . nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives Uk . 5 February 2019 . Kew, England . 1914.
25. Web site: Harley . Simon . Lovell . Tony . Taranto - The Dreadnought Project . www.dreadnoughtproject.org . Harley and Lovell . 5 February 2019 . 23 August 2018.
26. Book: Admiralty . Great Britain . The Navy List . July 1946 . HM Stationery Office . London, England . 2261.
27. The Navy List July 1946
28. Book: Osborne . Brian D. . Armstrong . Ronald . Glasgow: A City at War . 2005 . Birlinn . Edinburgh, Scotland . 9781843410287 . 156 . en.
29. Web site: Collins. I.N. . Instructor Lt. D.J.E. . HyperWar: The Royal Indian Navy (Chapter 11) . www.ibiblio.org . HyperWar Foundation . 5 February 2019 . 1939–1945.
30. Book: Brown . David . The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.I: September 1939 – October 1940 . 2013 . Routledge . Oxford, England . 9781135281540 . 116 . en.
31. Book: McMillan . Richard . The British Occupation of Indonesia: 1945–1946: Britain, The Netherlands and the Indonesian Revolution . 2006 . Routledge . Oxford, England . 9781134254286 . 192 . en.