Career
He was the Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty"s Australian Fleet between 30 April 1922 and 30 April 1924. During the First World War he was recognised by the British Admiralty as an authority on submarines, and his knowledge of that class of ship was used extensively. Joining the Royal Navy on 15 July 1889 as a naval cadet, he was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 14 March 1895, lieutenant on 22 June 1897, he served upon HMS Mercury, later promoted to commander on 31 December 1907 and later to captain on 30 June 1913.
HMS Dartmouth was torpedoed on 15 May 1917 by the German submarine University of California-25 after the engagement but he successfully brought his ship safely into port.
Later while commanding submarine HMS E52, he led the action which sunk University of California-63 (commanded by Oberleutenant Karsten von Heydebrec) on 1 November 1917 at Goodwin Sands, Dover Straits. Foreign his war service during the Great War he was also appointed Chevalier of the Order of the Légion d"honneur and war 1 General Motors (France).
He became Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty"s Australian Fleet between 30 April 1922 and 30 April 1924. He was promoted to Rear Admiral on 2 November 1923.
After his appointment with the Australian Fleet ceased, he commanded the Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Squadron.
He became the Director of Dockyards to the Admiralty from 1928 to 1937. After retiring on 1 March 1929, he was recalled in September 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War. He retired in April 1946, and died on 13 November 1952.