11 Facts About Arthur Waistell

Admiral Sir Arthur Kipling Waistell KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Arthur Waistell was a lieutenant when in May 1902 he was appointed to the senior staff at the torpedo school HMS Vernon, and from 1 January 1903 he was in command of the HMS Devastation, serving as tender to the Vernon.

Arthur Waistell was appointed in command of the destroyer HMS Stag in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1906.

Arthur Waistell was appointed to command 8th Submarine Flotilla and HMS Maidstone, the depot ship for the flotilla, on 1 September 1913.

Arthur Waistell transferred to command of the battleship HMS Benbow in the Grand Fleet on 29 September 1917.

Arthur Waistell was Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff from 1923 and went on to be Commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron from 1924.

Arthur Waistell was appointed Commander in Chief, China Station in 1928 and Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1931; he retired in 1934.

In retirement, Waistell lived in Winchester where he was especially involved with the affairs of the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, for some time being a member of its Court of Governors.

Arthur Waistell's wife died in 1948 and so, being an invalid, he moved to the Isle of Wight where a sister was able to look after him.

Arthur Waistell died on 26 October 1953; during the morning of Friday 30 October his funeral service took place at Yarmouth Parish Church, Isle of Wight.

Arthur Waistell's remains were taken to Southampton and later that day he was buried beside his wife in Magdalen Hill Cemetery, Winchester.