Orders in Council of 4 August, 1873

Rear-Admiral, Retired & Sea Service

WHEREAS in Your Majesty's Order in Council of 22nd February, 1870, governing the promotion and retirement of Flag Officers and others of Your Majesty's Fleet, clause six of section two appoints as follows:—

"Captains retired from that rank to be entitled to rise by seniority to the rank of Retired Rear-Admiral, if before retirement they had served the time to qualify them for promotion."

And whereas we are of opinion that this condition may be modified, we humbly propose to Your Majesty that the clause above-recited by cancelled, and the following substituted:—

Captains who have been, or who may in future be, retired from that rank under Your Majesty's Order in Council of 22nd February, 1870, to be entitled to rise by seniority to the rank of Retired Rear-Admiral if they have served three years as Captain in command of a Ship of War at sea.

And whereas clause five of section two of Your Majesty's said Order in Council is as follows:—

"To qualify a Captain whose seniority brings him in turn for advancement to the Active List of Flag Officers, he must have completed six years' Sea Service as Captain, or its equivalent in Harbour Service, but the first three years of such period must be Sea Service in command of a Ship of War at sea: Such Officers as arrive at their turn for promotion without having completing the qualifying Service to be retired."

An whereas in Section V., which defines "Harbour Service," clause two contains the following sub-clause:—

"(a) Service in Harbour Ships or their Tenders (with the exception of Harbour Ships and Tenders at Ascension, Port Royal, Hong Kong, and Rio de Janeiro, and at such other Foreign Ports as we may determine,) and Service in First Reserve (Coast Guard) Ships, after the first three years of such Service, such first three years to reckon as Sea Service."

And whereas we are of opinion that the above-recited clauses may render it unduly difficult for Captains who, as Lieutenants qualified in Harbour Ships as Gunnery Lieutenants, and also in some other special cases, to obtain the amount of Service required to qualify them for promotion to Flag Rank.

We therefore humbly propose to Your Majesty that the sub-clause above-recited of the second clause of the fifth section of Your Majesty's said Order in Council be cancelled, and the following sub-clause be substituted:—

(a) Service of an Officer when borne on the books of any Harbour Ship, or of any First Reserve (Coast Guard) Ship subject to the following exceptions:—

1. Three years served in any Harbour Ship or First Reserve (Coast Guard) Ship, or in any Tender to such ship, as Lieutenant or Commander, or in those ranks combined, shall count as Sea Service, but not as Sea Service in a Ship of War at Sea.

2. Three years served either before or after 1st August, 1873, or partly before and partly after that date, as Captain in command of any Harbour Ship or First Reserve (Coast Guard) Ship, or any Tender to such ship, shall count as Sea Service, but not as Sea Service in a Ship of War at sea.

This shall not apply to any officer who retired before 1st August, 1873.

3. Service subsequent to 1st August, 1873, in Tenders to Harbour Ships and to First Reserve (Coast Guard) Ships at Home, and in Harbour Ships Abroad, and their Tenders, shall be in such cases as we may direct count as Service in a Ship of War at sea.

Captains, Commanders, Lieutenants, and Sub-Lieutenants

Retirement of, and Reduction of the Active List.

WHEREAS we have had under consideration the effect of your Majesty's Order in Council of the 22nd February, 1870, regulating the retirement of Flag Officers and others of your Majesty's Navy, and of your Majesty's Order in Council of 5th February, 1872; and whereas we are of opinion that it is most desirable to accelerate the reduction of the list of Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants, to the numbers proposed in your Majesty's first-mentioned Order in Council:

We do most humbly submit that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to sanction the following proposals for the temporary modification in certain particulars of the said Order in Council, and authorise us to carry the same into effect from the 1st of October next, viz:—

I.—As regards Captains.

Captains of or above seven years' seniority to be allowed, irrespective of age, to retire on a minimum sum of £450 per annum; or, if they so elect, on the amount of retired pay they may now he entitled to receive under the Order in Council of 22nd of February, 1870, together with an additional sum of £100 per annum, provided that the maximum of £600, any good service pension included, shall in no case be exceeded.

Captains under seven years' seniority to be allowed, irrespective of age, to retire on a minimum sum of £400 per annum, or, if they so elect, on the amount of retired pay they may now be entitled to receive under the Order in Council of 22nd of February, 1870, together with an additional sum of £100 per annum, provided that the maximum of £600, any good service pension included, shall in no case be exceeded.

Officers who avail themselves of these terms to be entitled to be entitled to rise by seniority to the rank of Retired Rear-Admiral, if they have served three years as Captain in command of a ship of war at sea.

II.—As regards Commanders.

Commanders of or above three years' seniority to be allowed, irrespective of age, to retire on a minimum sum of £300; or, if they so elect, on the amount of retired pay they may now be entitled to receive under the Order in Council of the 22nd February, 1870, together with an additional sum of £100 per annum, provided that the maximum of £400 shall in no case be exceeded.

Commanders under three years' seniority to be allowed, irrespective of age, to retire on a minimum sum of £260; or, if they so elect, on the amount of retired pay they may now be entitled to receive under the Order in Council of the 22nd of February, 1870, together with an additional sum of £100 per annum, provided that the maximum of £400 shall in no case be exceeded.

Officers who avail themselves of these terms to be allowed a step in rank on retirement, if they have one year's sea service in a ship of war at sea in the rank of Commander.