John Hedley Thorton Priestman

Major-General John Hedley Thornton Priestman, (22 July 1885 – 22 February 1964) was a senior officer in the British Army.

Early life and family John Hedley Thornton Priestman was born on 22 July 1885, the son of J. Priestman of East Mount, Holderness. the son, John Reeve Thornton, was killed in action in North Africa in 1943, while commissioned as a lieutenant in the Army.

Military career Priestman was commissioned into a part-time unit, the 6th (6th Royal Lancashire Militia) Battalion, Manchester Regiment, on 12 March 1904 before he passed his examinations and was commissioned into the Lincolnshire Regiment (later the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment) as a second lieutenant on 29 November 1905. He was promoted to a lieutenant on 8 October 1910 and served as an adjutant between November of that year and November 1913. He became a captain on 4 August 1914, an acting major on 11 September 1916, a brevet major on New Years Day 1919 and major on 5 June 1923. until September. He returned to his previous post until January 1917, when he was again made a brigade major, this time serving until 20 July 1917. The following day, Priestman became a General staff Officer of the 2nd Division in France.

The war ended on 11 November 1918 due to the Armistice with Germany. From April 1919, Priestman was Commander of a Company of Gentleman Cadets at the Royal Military College and a General Staff Officer. Transferred to Aldershot as a GSO in 1922, he relinquished his post there in May 1924, after having attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1921 to 1922. The following November, he became DAAG Western Command but relinquished that position in January 1928. He was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel in the meantime (28 June 1924). and GOC of the Essex County Division in February 1941 before retiring October 1941.

Priestman was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1938 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1939. He retired in 1941 and died on 22 February 1964 at his home in Hertford.