Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to navigationJump to search

The rank of Admiral of the Fleet was the highest officer rank in the Royal Navy, equivalent to Field Marshal in the British Army. The establishment was generally fixed at three during the Dreadnought period, and tended to be filled by the most senior officers of the rank of Admiral as vacancies occurred. Officers of outstanding merit could be specially promoted Admiral of the Fleet supernumerary to the establishment by Order-in-Council, either on the Active or Retired Lists.

Retirement

The provisions of the Order in Council of 22 February, 1870, set the retirement age of Admirals of the Fleet at seventy years old.[1] In accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 16 July, 1914, Admirals of the Fleet promoted to that rank after that date were to be retired five years from the date of such promotion, but not until they had reached the age of sixty-five.[2]

On 4 March, 1940, it was announced that King George VI had approved that in future all Admirals of the Fleet would be borne on the Active List and that all those on the Retired List would be restored to the Active List, and replaced on it with their original seniorities.[3]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Order in Council of 22 February, 1870.
  2. ↑ Order in Council of 16 July, 1914.
  3. ↑ London Gazette: no. 34807. p. 1393. 8 March, 1940. Those replaced on the Active List were: Oliver, Brock, Keyes, Field and Tyrwhitt.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=Admiral_of_the_Fleet_(Royal_Navy)&oldid=35257"