Lower Deck of the Royal Navy

The last "tarpaulin" commission was granted to Able Seaman John Kingcome in 1818. He later became Admiral of the Red Sir John Kingcome, K.C.B., and held the Command-in-Chief in the Pacific.

In December, 1917, Fisher lamented to George Lambert, "Is there a single Post-Captain who has risen from the ranks?" There then were none, but not for long. Thomas J. Spence Lyne had been specially promoted to Lieutenant for gallantry in the Coronation Honours for King Edward VII in 1902. He was promoted Captain on 1 january, 1919, and, though placed on the Retired List for age in 1925, was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List in 1931, the first time in decades this had occurred.

After the institution of the Mate system in 1913, of the first tranche of thirteen candidates James Figgins alone reached the rank of Captain on the Active List, at the age of forty-seven. In 1935 Benjamin C. S. Martin became the second Mate to be promoted Captain, aged forty-four. Since 1932, when ten commanders had been promoted to Captain twice a year, it had been decided to increase the total number by five, drawn mainly from further down the list of commanders. Martin was 234 on the list when promoted. The next above him 144.