Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

Sir Frederick Laurence Field, (18 April 1871 – 24 October 1945) was a senior

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer. He served in the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...

as commander of a raiding party and in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as commanding officer of the

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

, flagship of Admiral Martyn Jerram at the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...

in May 1916. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet before serving as

First Sea Lord First Sea Lord, officially known as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS), is the title of a statutory position in the British Armed Forces, held by an Admiral (Royal Navy), admiral or a General (United Kingdom), general of the ...

during the early 1930s, in which role he dealt with the response to the Invergordon Mutiny in September 1931 and ensured the abandonment in 1932 of the 'ten-year rule', an attempt by the treasury to control defence expenditure by requesting the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

to declare whether there was any risk of war during the next ten years.

Early career

Born the second son of Colonel Spencer Field, 6th

Royal Warwickshire Regiment The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

, and Catherine Field (née Darrah), Field was educated privately before joining the

as a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

in the training ship HMS ''Britannia'' in 1884.Heathcote, p. 74 He was posted as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

to the armoured frigate HMS ''Minotaur'' in the Channel Squadron in November 1886. He transferred to the

armoured cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a pre-dreadnought battles ...

on the China Station in March 1888 and to the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

also on the China Station in early 1889. Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 14 November 1890, he was posted to the

in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

in April 1892. Promoted again to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 1 April 1893, he joined the corvette in the Training Squadron in October 1894 before attending the torpedo school from November 1895. After serving on the directing staff at the torpedo school at Devonport, Field became torpedo officer in on the China Station in July 1898. He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for leading a small raiding party which landed at

Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...

in response to the

tasked with repairing damaged trains under heavy fire: he was wounded during the action. Promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

on 26 June 1902, Field was on the same day posted to HMS ''Vernon'', in command of the torpedo gunboat . He was posted to the battleship on the China Station in early August 1902, before rejoining the staff at HMS ''Vernon'' in 1904. Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 31 December 1907, he became commanding officer of HMS ''Defiance'', the torpedo school at Devonport.Heathcote, p. 75 He was given command of as flag captain to Admiral Martyn Jerram, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1910 and then became superintendent of the Royal Navy signal schools in 1912.

First World War

Field saw service during the

, initially as Captain of HMS ''Vernon'' and then as commanding officer of the battleship ,

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

of Admiral Jerram at the

in May 1916. The ''King George'' was assigned as the lead ship of the

2nd Battle Squadron The 2nd Battle Squadron was a Squadron (naval), naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to i ...

. He was applauded for "the great skill with which he handled the King George V, as leader of the line, under very difficult conditions". During the battle, his ship fired two salvoes at SMS Derfflinger but had to turn away to enable friendly cruisers to manoeuvre ahead. Appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

on 15 September 1916, he became chief of staff to Sir Charles Madden, commanding the 1st Battle Squadron in November 1916 and, having been appointed to the Russian Order of Saint Anna, 2nd Class with Swords on 5 June 1917, he became Director of Torpedoes and Mining at the Admiralty in June 1918. He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King on 26 October 1918. In recognition of his war service he was appointed an Officer of the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

on 12 December 1918, a Commander of the Romanian Order of the Crown on 17 March 1919, and a Companion of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

on 17 July 1919. He was also awarded the United States

Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to Sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorio ...

on 16 September 1919.

Flag officer

Promoted to the rank of

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

on 11 February 1919, Field became Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy in March 1920. Advanced to Knight Commander of the

in the 1923 New Year Honours, he was given the command of the Battlecruiser Squadron with his flag in the battlecruiser early that year. He took the squadron, comprising HMS ''Hood'', the battlecruiser and the light cruisers , , , and , on an " Empire Cruise" between November 1923 and September 1924. Promoted to

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

on 26 September 1924, he was advanced to Knight Commander of the

three days later for his service on the Empire Cruise. He went on to be Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in May 1925 and, having been promoted to

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

on 5 April 1928, he became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in June 1928.

First Sea Lord

Field became

in July 1930. The greatest crisis faced by Field at the Admiralty was the pay crisis and mutiny that soon followed. With the ongoing effects of worldwide depression and budget restrictions, a 25% pay cut was introduced across the fleet and one shilling per day was taken from every naval man. It were these proposed measures which led to the Invergordon Mutiny in September 1931 when the sailors of the Atlantic Fleet at

Invergordon Invergordon (; or ) is a town and port in Easter Ross, in Ross and Cromarty, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland. It lies in the parish of Rosskeen. History The town built up around the harbour which was established in 1828. The area ...

left their ships and refused duty. Many of the officers at the time state that the mutiny at Invergordon was a direct result of the action of the Admiralty in accepting the cuts in pay for the crews. While the First Sea Lord was the principle advisor to the

First Lord of the Admiralty First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible f ...

on naval matters, Admiral Field was ill at the time of the incident and the First Lord

Austen Chamberlain Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of ...

had proceeded ahead without being able to discuss the cuts with Field. At King George V's insistence, Admiral Sir John Kelly, who was popular with the fleet, was brought out of retirement to take command of the Atlantic Fleet, and the cabinet, acting on Field's advice, hurriedly reconsidered its budget: the pay cuts were restricted to 10% rather than 25%.Heathcote, p. 76 During the early months of this crisis, Field's illness was confirmed as a perforated ulcer. It was also primarily Field's work in the Committee of Imperial Defence that led to the abandonment in 1932 of the 'ten year rule'. This had been an attempt by the treasury to control defence expenditure by requesting the

to declare whether there was any risk of war during the next ten years. Field retired as First Sea Lord in January 1933 and was promoted to

admiral of the fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

on 21 January. He was advanced to

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

in the 1933 Birthday Honours, and was Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 and 1785 (United 1889) for the years 1935 to 1937. He retired to his home at Escrick Park near

Escrick Escrick is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It was in the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, but since 1974 has come under North Yorkshire. It is approximately equidistant between Selby and York on what is now the A19 road ...

in the

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...

(now

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

) where he died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

on 24 October 1945.

Family

In 1902, Field married Annie Jackson (née Harris); there were no children.

References

Sources

External links

Biographical article on the HMS Hood website
* , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Field, Frederick 1871 births 1945 deaths Deaths from cancer in England Irish knights People from Killarney People from the East Riding of Yorkshire (before 1974) First Sea Lords and Chiefs of the Naval Staff Lords of the Admiralty Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Officers of the Legion of Honour Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Royal Navy personnel of the Boxer Rebellion Royal Navy officers of World War I Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Military personnel from County Kerry