Rear-Admiral (Royal Navy)

Rear-Admiral was a rank in the Royal Navy. In the days of the sailing navy, the "Rear" Admiral commanded the last ship in the squadron, so as to preserve the change of command in case the "Admiral" and "Vice" Admiral in the line ahead should be disabled.

In the Dreadnought era, Rear-Admiral, and its foreign equivalents, was the lowest ranking Flag Officer.

Qualification to become a Flag Officer

by Your Majesty's Order in Council of the nineteenth day of May, 1899, it was provided that, to qualify a Captain whose seniority brings him in turn for advancement to the Active List of Fhg Officers, he must have served certain periods in command, of which three years must in any case have been in a ship of war at sea.

And whereas it has been found that the condition that a Captain should be in command, so far as it relates to periods other than the three years required in a ship of war at sea, operates unfairly in cases of Officers holding certain appointments who are precluded from counting time so served for promotion by reason of their not being actually in command, but who, notwithstanding, are performing duties of great importance to Your Majesty's Fleet.

We are of opinion that, whilst the actual period of service required for promotion should remain unaltered, the qualification in command should be required only as regards the three years' service in a ship of war at sea, and we accordingly most humbly submit the following amended regulation for Your Majesty's approval, viz. : —

To qualify a Captain whose seniority brings him in turn for advancement to the Active List of Flag Officers he must have served the following periods, of which three years must in ench case have been in command of a ' ship of war at sea ' : —

During peace	six years.
During war	four years.
During peace and war combined	five years.

Note, — 'Ihe first two years' service to qualify for advancement to Flag rank must be in command of a ship of war at sea.

Captains who arrive at their turn for promotion without having completed the qualifying service to be retired.