THE SERVICES

RESIGNATIONS ANQ . PROMOTIONS

FUAC RANK CHANGES

(FROlf OUR OWN CORRBSPONDINT.)

, , ' LONDON, Sth May. Vice-Admiral Sir' William C. Pakenham has-been promoted to the rank of Admiral, arid Rear-Admiral Sir James A. Fergueson to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

The former has been Commanfier-in-Chief on the North America and West Indies Station since October, 1920. During- the war he served continuously in tho North. Sea,, being, when hostilities began, Reai-Admiral commanding the Third Cruiser Squadron, with his flag in tho Antrim. He succeeded Sir G. Moore in command of the Second. Battle Cruiser Squadron alter the action- between Eoatty and Hipper off the Dogger Bank, and, with his flag in the New Zealand, held this post at the battle of Jutland. He had_ already the C.8., for his sot vices, as benior Naval Attacho at Tokio, 1904-1906 when he was a speotator in the Japanese ileefc, of the battle of Tsushima, and now received the K.C.B. 'Sir William sucoeeded Lord 'Bea-ity as Vice-Admiral m command of tho Battle Cruiser Force and, with his flag in the Lion, was present at the surrender of tho German Fleet on 21st Novoraber, 1918. Before to the North Amorioa Station, he Vas president, of the Eoyal College at Greenwich. Rear-Admiral Sir James Fergusson entered the Royal Navy as" a midshipman in February, 1887, and was promoted to commander for service in South Africa with Grant's guns. During the war he was captain of the Benbow and Thunderer, until advanced to flag rank, when he was appointed British Admiral of ,Patrols at Malta, and subsequently, BearAdmiral commanding the Second Light Cruiser Squadron, in which" post, with his flag in the Birmingham, he-witnessed the surrender of the German Fleet As captain of the Thunderer, he took part in the Jutland Battle. After the war, Sir James, who had been awarded both the C.B. and K.C.M.G. for his services, was appointed Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, and held the offices of DeputyChief and Assistant-Chief of the Naval Staff. He has commanded the First Light Cruiser Squadron since July, 1920. Lady Fergusson is a New Zealander. When war broke out, Rear-Admiral Stephen H. Radcliffe, 0.M.G., was in command of the battle cruiser Australia *a j fl *^shiP o£ Sir G- P»tey, the RearAdmiral, commanding the Australian Meet. In her he took part in the operations in the Pacific, including tho New Zealand expedition to Samoa, and the Australian Nexpedition to German New Guinea. For these services he was awarded the C.M.G. Captain Kadcliffe remained in the Australia when she returned Home for service in the North Sea, and when she became the flagship of Sir William Pakenham, in. the Second Battle Cruiser Squadron He afterwards commanded successfully the Drake, ' Achilles, and Superb. He has now retired from service. '

Two coastguard changes took place this week, when Captain the Hon.. Arthur L. O. Forbes-Sempill sucoeeded Captain H. H. Smyth, C.M.G., D.5.0., as commanding oiEcer of the Nore Area, and Captain Ernest A. Taylor, C.M.G., M.V.0., took the place of Captain H. J. TweeSie, C.8., as commanding officer of the Pjymouth Area, which has just been extended to include the greater portion of the Irish Area. Captain Taylor, a3 a commander, was made a war staff officer, and filled the post of flag-captain, either ashore or afloat, nearly throughout the war. It was as flag-captain, to Sir' James Fergusson in the Birmingham that he was present I at_ the surrender of the German Fleet. His last appointment afloat was as flagcaptain in the Renown, with Rear-Ad-miral Sir L. Halsey, on the occasion of the voyage of the Prince of Wales to Australia and New Zealand. Captain Taylor wears the silver medal of the' Royal Humane Society for a gallant action in 1909. /'

Captain H. B. Grace has succeeded Captain W. Bowden-Smith, C.8.E., as Commodore (Second Class) in charge of the naval establishments at Hongkong, at the expiry of the latter officer's two years in the post. Captain Grace was commander of H.M.S. New Zealand during her voyage round the world in 1913, and, after his promotion, commanded successfully in the war the cmrisers Grafton, Yarmouth, and Vindictive. His last appointment was as President of the Sub-Committee of the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control. THE STAFF COLLEGE. Major-Genera,! Sir W. E. Ironside, X.C.8., C.M.G., D.5.0., has been selected to succeed Major-Geaeral W, H. Anderson as Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley. The name of General Ironside (says^The Times), recalls one of the most interesting "side-shows" of the war. Amid the ice of Archangel, he contended almost alone with Bolshevism and its enormous issues, and had he won Russia, Europe,_ and, indeed, the whole'fabric of civilisation would have worn a different aspect to-day and for all time. That he did not win was, not his fault. Ironside, who is not yet forty-two, made his first mark in the wax on the staff of the Sixth Division. In January, 1918, he was placed in charge of the Sohool of Small Arms, i>ut, was soon released to command the 99th Brigade, when Yon Hufier struck agtinst Gough and Byng, and shared the campaigning of .that momontous spring. Se was then chosen to keep the North Russian harbours and waterways from the advancing Bolsheviks. He had' lended at Archangel in October, 1918, and taken over from Poole^ who had been marooned there with inadequate forces since July, when ne had to meet strong Bolshevik attacks, aided" by gunboats up the Dvina, which were only foiled by the freezing of the river. His whole force numbered about 18.500 men of various nationalities, some demoralised, and many physioally unfit. Undaunted, he enlisted and painfully trained 25,000 Russians. -Then botween January and April, 1919, with the sea frozen behind him, he had to meet three heavy offences, one j of which was successful, and he had to oall on Maynard at Murmansk for 2000 men, who arrived after a sleigh march of i 400 miles. The brigades of Grogan and Sadlier-Jackson reaohed him in June, but mutiny, Bolshevik-incited, showed its' head, and soon came orders from home to_ prepare for a general British evacuation. For this it was essential to deliver one standstill blow. It was given in the nick of time. On 11th "August, Rawlinson, landing at Archangel to co-ordinate the retirement, learned that only the (jay before Ironside had cleared his front by a brilliant attack, chasing the enemy twenty miles. By 27th September, the withdrawal, which ho had skilfully devised, was completed by the embarkation of the last British soldier at Arohahgel. Promotion to Major-General was his reward. In 1920, hs oonoluded a military .mission to Hungary, and later he commanded the Noth Persian force.