Mark Pizey

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Admiral Sir Mark Pizey
Mentioned in Despatches

Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
from 1951 to 1955.

Early life and career

Pizey was born in

First Lieutenant, first aboard HMS Violent in the Atlantic Fleet from 1924 to 1925, and then aboard HMS Winchelsea
in the Mediterranean from 1926 to 1927.

He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 15 December 1928.[4] and served from 1929 to 1930 as Flag Lieutenant-Commander to Vice Admiral Sir W.A. Howard Kelly in the Mediterranean, aboard the battleship HMS Revenge. From 1930 to 1932 he commanded the destroyers HMS Torrid and HMS Boreas. He was promoted to commander on 31 December 1933.[5] From 1935 to 1937, he was the Executive Officer aboard HMS Woolwich in the Mediterranean, and then commanded the destroyer HMS Fortune in the Home Fleet from 1938 to 1939.

Second World War

Pizey (second from left) with King George VI (centre) aboard HMS Tyne in March 1943

In June 1939, Pizey was promoted to

mentioned in despatches
.

In July 1942, he was given the command of a destroyer depot ship, HMS Tyne, and served as a chief staff officer to a Rear Admiral in charge of protecting Soviet convoys in the North Sea. For this service, he was awarded a bar to his DSO (i.e. awarded the DSA for a second time) on 27 November 1942.[7]

Pizey addresses the crew of HMS Tyne before his departure to take up command of HMS President. c. December 1943

In December 1943, Pizey was appointed Director of Operations Division (Home) for the Admiralty, commanding HMS President. He served in this capacity until the end of the war.

Postwar career

In 1946, Pizey was appointed a

vice admiral.[8]

In October 1951, Pizey replaced

Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, which had replaced the former designation of Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy. He was honoured with the Order of the People's Army upon the state visit of Josip Broz Tito
to India.

Pizey was succeeded in his post by

Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Somerset.[3]

Personal life and death

In 1928, Pizey married Phyllis May D'Angibau (27 November 1904 – 4 April 1993). The couple had two daughters:

  • Pamela Mary, who married Lieutenant Commander James Barry Armstrong Hawkins MBE
  • Sarah Margaret, who married Lieutenant Commander James Alexander Pountney Coats (1927–1993)

Sir Mark Pizey died at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset on 17 May 1993, aged 93. His wife had died the previous month at the age of 88.

References

  1. ^ "No. 31104". The London Gazette. 3 January 1919. p. 199.
  2. ^ "No. 32583". The London Gazette. 20 January 1922. p. 552.
  3. ^ a b c Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945
  4. ^ "No. 33448". The London Gazette. 18 December 1928. p. 8327.
  5. ^ "No. 34011". The London Gazette. 2 January 1934. p. 52.
  6. ^ "No. 35506". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 March 1942. p. 1445.
  7. ^ "No. 35805". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1942. p. 5225.
  8. ^ "No. 39398". The London Gazette. 30 November 1951. p. 6250.
  9. ^ "No. 39863". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1953. p. 2947.
  10. ^ "No. 40383". The London Gazette. 5 January 1955. p. 303.
  11. ^ "No. 40960". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1957. p. 6.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy
October 1951 – March 1955
Succeeded by
Abolished
Preceded by
New Office
Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy
April 1955 – July 1955
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1955–1958
Succeeded by