Department of the Director of Naval Equipment

The Department of the Director of Naval Equipment also known as the Directorate of Naval Equipment was the former British Admiralty department responsible for managing the progress of all naval construction at royal naval dockyards, and annually planning programmes of works for additions, alterations, repairs and modernisation of all ships from 1912 to 1939, In late September 1939 the department and its functions were merged into the new Department of the Vice-Controller of the Navy.

History
The department was originally established on 3 September 1912, the department was primarily concerned with overseeing the progress of all naval construction at royal naval dockyards, In addition it planned and monitored programmes of works for additions, alterations, repairs and modernisation of all ships. The department worked in partnership with the Department of the Director of Dockyards, both of these departments were overseen by the office of the Third Sea Lord from 1912 to 1939. In September 1939 the department was merged into the new, and expanded Department of the Vice-Controller of Navy he was then co-styled Vice-Controller of the Navy and Director of Naval Equipment.

Directors of Naval Equipment
Included: Note: In September 1939 the department and post is merged into the Department of the Vice-Controller of the Navy.
 * Rear-Admiral Arthur W. Waymouth, 3 September, 1912 – January, 1915
 * Captain Clement Greatorex, 14 January, 1915 – 8 October, 1917
 * Rear-Admiral Edward M. Phillpotts, 8 October, 1917 – 1 May, 1920
 * Rear-Admiral Edward F. Bruen, 1 May, 1920 – 16 May, 1922
 * Rear-Admiral Douglas L. Dent, 2 May, 1922
 * Rear-Admiral Arthur A. M. Duff, 16 May, 1924
 * Rear-Admiral Henry W. Parker, 17 May, 1926 – 17 May, 1928
 * Rear-Admiral Joseph C. W. Henley, 15 May, 1928 – 14 March, 1930
 * Rear-Admiral Harold O. Reinold, 14 March, 1930 – 2 March, 1931
 * Rear-Admiral Percy L. H. Noble, – 30 November, 1932
 * Rear-Admiral Cecil Ponsonby Talbot, 30 November, 1932 – 10 December, 1934
 * Rear-Admiral St. Aubyn B. Wake, 10 December, 1934 – 10 December, 1936
 * Rear-Admiral Francis Thomas B. Tower, 10 December, 1936 – 27 August, 1939

Assistant Directors of Naval Equipment
Included: Note: In September 1939 the department and post is merged into the Department of the Vice-Controller of the Navy.
 * Captain Henry R. Crooke, 18 February, 1913 – 1914
 * Captain Ernest K. Loring, 1 October, 1914 – 3 April, 1915
 * Captain Henry L. Cochrane, 3 April, 1915
 * Captain (retired) Christopher P. Metcalfe, late 1916  (for salvage work, working with Henry Lake Cochrane)
 * Captain Hugh T. Walwyn, 1 March, 1917 – January, 1918
 * Captain Alan G. Hotham, 1917 – 1 October, 1917
 * Captain Percy Withers, 10 January, 1918 – 7 May, 1919
 * Captain Arthur T. Walker, 30 May, 1925 – 1 October, 1926
 * Captain Patrick E. Parker, 23 March, 1928 – 2 April, 1930
 * Captain Harold G. C. Franklin, 2 April, 1930 – 4 April, 1932
 * Captain Stuart S. Bonham-Carter, 14 March, 1932 – 14 March, 1936
 * Captain Martin J. C. de Meric, 1 December, 1938 – 18 September, 1939

Salvage Section
Head of Salvage Section Note: The Salvage Section was replaced by a new Salvage Department in 1939.
 * Commander J. H. Dathan, 1915 -1916
 * Captain Christopher P. Metcalfe, 1916 - 1917
 * Hon. Captain Frederic W. Young, 1917-1920
 * Commodore, Hon. Sir Frederic W. Young, 1921-1927
 * Salvage Accounts section

Office of the Captain/Admiral superintendent ships building by contract
For Contract Work (not including Destroyers) on the Clyde


 * Captain Edward Stafford Fitzherbert, 1912 - 1913
 * Captain Brian H. F. Barttelot, 1913 - 1917
 * Rear-Admiral John F. E. Green, 1917 - 1918
 * Captain Cecil H. Fox, 1918 - 1920
 * Captain Herbert, Buchanan-Woolaston, 1 January 1924 - 1926
 * Captain Ambrose Thomas Norman Abbay, 1926 -1928
 * Commander L. B. Hill, 30 September 1938 - 1939

Contract Work (not including Destroyers) on the Tyne, Thames, Mersey, at Barrow-in-Furness, and at Sunderland


 * Captain Laurence E. Power, 1913 - 1917
 * Rear-Admiral Alfred E. A. Grant, 1917 - 1918
 * Captain William F. Slayter, 1918 -1920

Office of the Captain/Admiral superintendent destroyers building by contract
Included:
 * Captain Douglas L. Dent, 1912 - 1913
 * Captain Cyril Asser, 1913 - 1917
 * Rear-Admiral Laurence E. Power, 1917 - 1918
 * Captain Frank F. Rose, 1918 -1920
 * Commander L. B. Hill, 1933 -1937
 * Vice-Admiral, St, A. B. Wake, Retd, 1937-1939

Attribution

 * The primary source for this article is by Harley Simon, Lovell Tony, (2017), http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/Department of the Director of Naval Equipment