Waistell joined the
Royal Navy in 1892. He 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. He was appointed in command of the
destroyer HMS Stag in the
Mediterranean Fleet in 1906. He was appointed to command
8th Submarine Flotilla and
HMS Maidstone, the depot ship for the flotilla, on 1 September 1913. This was based at
Harwich during
World War I as the main offensive submarine flotilla in UK waters. The flotilla became the 9th Submarine Flotilla on 9 August 1916. He transferred to command of the battleship
HMS Benbow in the
Grand Fleet on 29 September 1917. After the War, on 6 April 1920 he was appointed
Director of the Torpedo Division of the
Admiralty Naval Staff until April 1922. His next appointment was as
Rear Admiral (D), commanding
Destroyer Flotillas Atlantic Fleet from 15 July 1922 to 19 April 1923. He was
Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff from 1923 and went on to be Commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron from 1924. He 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. His 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. He died on 26 October 1953; during the morning of Friday 30 October his funeral service took place at
Yarmouth Parish Church, Isle of Wight. Immediately following this service his coffin was borne to the motor torpedo boat
Pathfinder and then, in Yarmouth Roads, transferred to the destroyer
Finisterre. His remains were taken to Southampton and later that day he was buried beside his wife in Magdalen Hill Cemetery,
Winchester. ==References==