Time of Service of Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants - 1864

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Time of Service of Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants - 1864

9 Jul 1864
Whereas having taken into our consideration the amount of time which we consider should be served at sea by the officers of Your Majesty's Navy, in order to give them due and proper experience, and thus qualify them for promotion to the higher ranks of their profession, we would humbly submit to Your Majesty that, in our opinion, it would greatly conduce to the advantage of Your Majesty's Naval Service if the following rules and regulations were to be adopted.

We therefore humbly submit that Your Majesty be graciously pleased to sanction the same.

Definition of Sea Service.

1. That sea service be defined and regarded in the case of executive officers as time served in ships actually employed on active service at sea, or in vessels actually employed in surveying, or in command of Your Majesty's Yacht.

2. That the employment of an officer in the following capacities shall reckon only as time entitling him to increased pay or retired pay, and not as sea service (except as provided in paragraph 3), such time to reckon in the proportions which have been or may be defined by Order in Council:�

  1. Harbour or Coast Guard service in ships, whether at home or abroad.
  2. Coast Guard, Transport, and Packet service, on shore.
  3. Superintendent of a Dockyard.
  4. Mail Agent or Transport Officer.
  5. Surveying Coasts and Harbours in other than regular surveying vessels.
As Relates to Captains.

3. That to qualify a Captain whose seniority brings him in turn for advancement to the Active List of Flag Officers, he must have been borne on the books of one or more of Your Majesty's ships as Captain four complete years during war, or six complete years during peace, or five complete years during war and peace combined; three years of such complete period to be sea service in command, as defined in paragraph 1; and the remainder, as the case may be, in command of a Coast Guard or Harbour ship, or as Superintendent of a Dockyard, or in Transport duties afloat, or as additional for full pay on the books of a ship in commission for service afloat, or for service in Naval Barracks.

But we would humbly submit that officers who have completed the time required by existing regulations to qualify them for their active Flag should not be subjected to this rule.

4. That to entitle a Captain to count war time, he must have commanded a ship actually employed on active service at sea, or a vessel actually employed in surveying, during war by Royal Proclamation, unless otherwise provided for by Special Order in Council.

5. That no Captain shall be eligible to command a stationary ship at home, or a Coast Guard ship, or to superintend a Dockyard, Victualling Yard, Naval Hospital, or Naval Barracks, who has not previously commanded a sea-going ship as Captain for three years.

As Relates to Commanders. 6. That the one year's service required to qualify a Commander for promotion to the rank of Captain on the Active List must be sea service as defined in paragraph 1.

7. That no Commander shall be eligible to command a stationary ship at home who has not one year's sea service.

As Relates to Lieutenants.

8. That the two years'service required to qualify a Lieutenant for promotion to the rank of Commander on the Active List must be sea service as defined in paragraph 1.

Should Your Majesty be graciously pleased to sanction these our suggestions, we would. humbly submit that Your Majesty will authorize us to carry into operation the several arrangements and changes herein contemplated, from the 1st of July, 1864.

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