Frederick Field (naval officer)

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Admiral Sir Frederick Field GCB, KCMG, (18 April 1871 – 24 October 1945) was a Fleet Admiral in the service of the Royal Navy and the British First Sea Lord from 1930 to 1933

[edit] Early Career in the Royal Navy

He entered the Royal Navy in 1884 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1893. He served on the H.M.S. Barfleur during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion of 1900 and was wounded while taking Tientsin City. Subsequently, he was Mentioned in Despatches and received the China medal and Relief of Peking clasp. In 1902, Field was promoted to Commander. Five years later, in December 1907, he was promoted to Captain.

He saw service during the First World War. His most notable appointment was as Captain of the battleship H.M.S. King George V at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. He was again Mentioned in Despatches and also eventually received the following: C.B., C.M.G., 2nd Class of Russian Order of St Anne with Swords, Order of Crown of Roumania, Legion of Honour and the American DSM. Field retired from the command of the King George V and served as the Chief of Staff to Admiral 2nd in Command, Grand Fleet. He served in this capacity until 1918. He then served as the Director of Torpedoes and Mining at the Admiralty until 1920. During this assignment has received the C.M.G. and was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1919.

[edit] Admiral in the Royal Navy

From 1920 to 1923, Field served as the Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. He left this position to take command on the Royal Navy Battle Cruiser Squadron. He commanded the squadron primarily from the battle cruiser H.M.S. Hood. Following his promotion in September 1924, Field was tasked to command the World Cruise of the Special Service Squadron, a public relations cruise to various ports in the British Empire. This journey took place between 1923 and 1924. He received the KCB and KCMG as a result of his successful command.

Field left the Battle Cruiser Squadron and became the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, a post he held until 928. He was promoted to full Admiral in April of that year and subsequently served as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet. He was reassigned as First Sea Lord of the Admiralty and Chief of Naval Staff in 1933. That same year he was made Admiral of the Fleet and received the GCB. Admiral Field retired in 1933, but was restored to the active list in 1940. He died in 1945.