John Pretty was born in Bromley in Kent on 9 April 1909, the son of William and Minnie Pretty.  In the 1911 Census the family were listed as living at 44, Wiltshire Road, Orpington in Kent.  He had been orphaned by the time of the 1921 Census which listed John Pretty as resident in the Bromley Poor Law Institution but in full time education.

John Pretty joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2^nd Class at HMS GANGES on 12 March 1928. After training he served in the battleships HMS BENBOW and HMS ROYAL OAK before joining the destroyer HMS WRYNECK.  This was followed by the battleship HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN and the cruiser HMS EFFINGHAM.

Able Seaman John Pretty joined submarines at HMS DOLPHIN on 3 September 1933.  He then served in HMS OLYMPUS and HMS PHOENIX in the Far East, returning to HMS DOLPHIN for HMS L19 but rejoined HMS PHOENIX. He then served in home waters in HMS STERLET before his engagement expired in April 1939 when he was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve.

Recalled for further service on the outbreak of WWII he rejoined HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Reserve Group F Submarines’ and then HMS H43.  On 14 March 1941 he was drafted to HMS THRASHER and later to HMS VARBEL (12th Submarine Flotilla) ‘for X-Craft’.  John Pretty was Mentioned in Despatches ‘for gallant and distinguished service in successful patrols while serving in H.M.Submarine Thrasher‘ – see London Gazette dated 30 June 1942.

He was serving in HMS X22 when it was accidentally sunk with all hands on 7 February 1944. X22 was under tow by HMS SYRTIS in the Pentland Firth when the Officer of the Watch of HMS SYRTIS (Lieutenant Charles Blythe, RNR) was washed overboard from the bridge. The Commanding Officer of SYRTIS (Lieutenant M H Jupp) reversed course in an attempt to rescue his ‘man overboard’ and accidentally collided with HMS X22. X22 sank at once and the crew of four including John Pretty were all lost.

John Pretty was the husband of Lilian Muriel Pretty (née Bigsby).  He is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 88 Column 1 and on the 12th Submarine Flotilla memorial at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and at Kylesku.