NAVAL APPOINTMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 11

NAVAL APPOINTMENTS.

VICE-ADMIRAL FIELD'S POST. CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF, (Received 5.5 p.m.) Reuter.-A. and N.Z. LONDON. Dec. 19. Vice : Admiral Sir Feredick Laurence Field, K.C.8., succeeds Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes as chief of the naval staff. . Sir Roger had held the position since 1921. Sir Roger Keyes has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, as from May 15, 1925.

Vice-Admiral Field commanded the Special Service Squadron, headed by the Hood, -which visited Auckland in May last in the course of its world cruise. Born in 1871, the son of Colonel Spencer Field, Admiral Field joined the Navy n 1884. Ho landed from the Barfieur in the Boxer rebellion, China, 1900, was wounded at the taking of Tientsin city and was mentioned in despatches. He was promoted captain in 1907, rear-ad-miral in 1919 and vice-admiral in 1923. He commanded the battleship King George at the Battlo of Jutland. He went to the Admiralty in 1918 and was Third Sea Lord and Contrpller of the Navy, 1920-23. In the latter year Admiral Field took command of the Battle-cruiser Squadron. Vice-Admiral Keyes is known to fame as the officer in charge of the daring raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend on April 23, 1918. Ho won many other high honours during the war and was created a baronet for his services. He was chief of the naval staff in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Gallipoli operations in 1915. He commanded the Battle-cruiser Squadron, Atlantic Fleet, from 1919 until his appointment, in 1921, as deputy chief of naval staff. Later he became chief of staff. Like Admiral Field he is the son of an army officer, his father being the late General Sir Charles Keyes. Admiral Keyes was born in 1872.