Frederick Laurence Field

Admiral of the Fleet Frederick L. Field as a Captain of Rear-Admiral, 1919.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral of the Fleet SIR Frederick Laurence Field, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., Royal Navy (19 April, 1871 – 24 October, 1945) served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1930 to 1933.

Life & Career

Field was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant dated 14 November, 1890. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1893.

Field was promoted to the rank of Commander on 26 June, 1902.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1907.

He was appointed to command the battleship Duncan on 9 August, 1910.^{[Citation needed]}

Great War

He was appointed Commanding Officer of H.M.S. Vernon on 15 September, 1914.

He was appointed command of Monarch on 17 September, 1915.

He was appointed command of King George V soon thereafter, as he commanded her at the Battle of Jutland.^{[Citation needed]}

On 15 September 1916, he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) dated 31 May.

Post-War

Field as an Admiral, 1930.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 11 February, 1919, vice Ballard.

Field was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 26 September, 1924, vice Mawbey.

Field was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 5 April, 1928, vice Fremantle.

He was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 21 January, 1933, vice Oliver.

As the result of the King approving that Admirals of the Fleet should in future be borne on the Active List of the Royal Navy for life, on 4 March, 1940, Field was replaced on the Active List with seniority of 21 January, 1933.

Bibliography

• "Admiral of the Fleet Sir F. Field" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 25 October, 1945. Issue 50282, col E, p. 7.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/43.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Walter Carey	Captain of H.M.S. Jaseur 10 Mar, 1902 – c. 1 Aug, 1902[Inference]	Succeeded by Henry Strickland
Preceded by Cole C. Fowler	Captain of H.M.S. Defiance 31 Aug, 1907 – 31 Aug, 1909	Succeeded by Harry L. d'E. Skipwith
Preceded by Edward B. Kiddle	Captain of H.M.S. Goliath 24 Jun, 1910	Succeeded by Henry L. Dicks
Preceded by William E. Goodenough	Captain of H.M.S. Duncan 9 Aug, 1910 – 31 Jul, 1912	Succeeded by Francis W. Kennedy
Preceded by Edward M. Phillpotts	Captain of Portsmouth Signal School 31 Jul, 1912 – 15 Sep, 1914	Succeeded by Charles E. Collins
Preceded by Edward M. Phillpotts	Superintendent of Signal Schools 31 Jul, 1912 – 15 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by John D. Allen
Preceded by William C. M. Nicholson	Captain of H.M.S. Vernon 15 Sep, 1914 – 17 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by Harry L. d'E. Skipwith
Preceded by Edmund H. Smith	Captain of H.M.S. Monarch 17 Sep, 1915 – 16 Dec, 1915	Succeeded by George H. Borrett
Preceded by George H. Baird	Captain of H.M.S. King George V 16 Dec, 1915 – 8 Jun, 1916	Succeeded by Vincent B. Molteno
Preceded by the Hon. Edward S. Fitzherbert	Director of Torpedoes and Mining 12 Jun, 1918	Succeeded by Albert P. Addison
Preceded by Sir William C. M. Nicholson	Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy 15 Apr, 1920 – 15 May, 1923	Succeeded by Cyril T. M. Fuller
Preceded by Sir Walter H. Cowan, Bart. as Rear-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron	Vice-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron 15 May, 1923 – 13 Oct, 1924	Succeeded by Cyril T. M. Fuller
Preceded by Sir Roger J. B. Keyes, Bart.	Deputy Chief of Naval Staff 15 May, 1925 – 1 May, 1928	Succeeded by Sir William W. Fisher
Preceded by Sir Roger J. B. Keyes, Bart.	Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station 8 Jun, 1928 – 27 May, 1930	Succeeded by Sir Alfred E. M. Chatfield
Preceded by Sir Charles E. Madden, Bart.	First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff 30 Jul, 1930 – 21 Jan, 1933	Succeeded by The Rt. Hon. The Lord Chatfield