Admiral Sir Richard Henry Peirse, KCB, KBE, MVO, DL (4 September 1860 – 10 July 1940)^[2] was a senior Royal Navy officer during the First World War.

Peirse joined the Royal Navy in 1873 and,^[2] in 1885, developed a new naval director^[3] which was to become the fire-control system used in all ships with large guns.^[4] Promoted to captain in 1900,^[5] he commanded HMS Dido during the Second Boer War.^[6]

Promoted to rear admiral in February 1909,^[7] Peirse was appointed Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station in 1913.^[8] Then promoted to vice admiral in October 1914,^[7][9] he served in the First World War taking part in the attack on Smyrna in 1915,^[10] where he outgunned the Turkish Fleet.^[11] He continued in his role on the East Indies Station until December 1915.^[12][13] He was promoted to admiral in March 1918.^[14]

After the war Peirse became Naval Member of the Central Committee of the Board of Invention and Research.^[15] He retired from the navy in January 1919.^[16]

Peirse lived in Upper Norwood in London^[17] and there is a memorial to him in Bedale Parish Church in North Yorkshire.^[18]

He and his wife lived for many years at Fiesole on Bathwick Hill in Bath, Somerset before moving to Belmont in Combe Down, where he died in 1940.^[19]

His son, Sir Richard Peirse, became air chief marshal.^[20]

• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath – 22 June 1914^[21]
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 7 June 1918^[22]
• Member of the Royal Victorian Order – 9 October 1903^[23]
• Legion of Honour, Grand officer (France) – 18 June 1918^[24]
• Order of the Nile, First Class (Egypt) – 25 October 1918^[25]