Captain Henry Wise Parker is the kind of trusted flag captain Sturdee would bring into the battlecruiser command. Parker had commanded smaller vessels, served as a gunnery officer, and been executive officer in both HMS Indomitable and HMS Lion before the war. That background gave him direct experience of how battlecruisers were organized and operated, beyond theoretical familiarity with the type. His later appointment as captain of the fleet for the Atlantic Fleet also illustrates how a flag captain could become a senior staff officer for a commander-in-chief. Parker's career shows how changing the admiral would also change the practical experience and staff machinery around him.
Notable Point · 34:34-36:42
Henry Wise Parker's battlecruiser and fleet-staff experience
Sturdee's preferred flag captain brought gunnery training, executive experience in Indomitable and Lion, and a career path into senior fleet staff work.