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