Vice-Admiral (Royal Navy)

Vice-Admiral is a Flag Rank in the Royal Navy, and is the third-most senior officers' rank, ranking above Rear-Admiral and below Admiral. During the Dreadnought Era a Vice-Admiral would normally be found serving as a Senior Officer of a Battle Squadron, as a Commander-in-Chief on a foreign station, or as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. A number of Vice-Admirals would be unemployed, and therefore on Half-Pay.

Compulsory Retirement

Officers promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral prior to 1 April, 1914 were required to be retired after five years since their last service as a Flag Officer. If they were promoted to the rank of Admiral without service as a Vice-Admiral, they were compulsorily retired.

Officers promoted Vice-Admiral on or after 1 April, 1914 were retired after three years since their last service as a Flag Officer, but not until after one year on the list of Vice-Admirals.

After 1 April, 1914, Flag Officers who reached the age of sixty without hoisting their flag were to be then retired. And Flag Officer who had not hoisted their flag for a period of seven years was to be retired at the expiration of such period.

Officers who retired with the rank of Vice-Admiral were entitled to rise by seniority to the rank of Retired Admiral.