Inter-war
Following gunnery courses in 1916, 1918 and 1919 at the Royal Naval gunnery school (HMS Excellent), Vian obtained a First Class certificate in Gunnery in October 1919. Despite being slated for service with the British Military Mission in Southern Russia, he was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy for two years from January 1920 and served as Gunnery Officer of HMAS Australia, then the Australian flagship.
On his return to the Royal Navy, Vian was given a series of appointments as gunnery officer, first, in January 1923, to the battleship HMS Thunderer, then serving as a cadet training ship. During this appointment, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 February 1924. This was followed in 1924 by two appointments to aging C class cruisers (HMS Champion and HMS Castor). There was a short period at the Devonport gunnery school (HMS Vivid) and another sea posting, to the battleship HMS Emperor of India.
There followed two foreign postings, still as a gunnery specialist. First in February 1927 to HMS Royal Sovereign, in the Mediterranean Fleet. This was followed, in November 1927, to HMS Kent, the then flagship of the China Station, where he was promoted to Commander on 30 June 1929.
Vian married, on 2 December 1929, Marjorie Price, daughter of Colonel David Price Haig, OBE, of Withyham, in Sussex. They were able, between his appointments, to take a three month honeymoon in Switzerland. The couple subsequently had two daughters.
For the two years up to January 1933, Vian had a "shore" appointment at the Admiralty in London, with the Director for Staff Training and Development (DTSD), analysing practice gunnery statistics. He then attended a short Tactical Course in Portsmouth and subsequently took command (his first), in March 1933, of the destroyer HMS Active and a Division within the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (part of the Mediterranean Fleet). Two incidents occurred during this command for which Vian was held to be at fault: damage to Active while going astern alongside a depotship in Malta and the loss of a torpedo from HMS Anthony.
Vian's commander-in chief, William Fisher, had remained well-disposed towards him, however, and these incidents had no ill effect on his career: he was promoted to Captain on 31 December 1934. On his return to the UK in early 1935, he was told to expect to spend time on half-pay, but the Abyssinian crisis intervened and he was given command of the 19th Destroyer Flotilla (on board HMS Douglas), which had been activated from the reserve to reinforce Malta.
He returned to the UK in July 1935 at the end of the crisis and attended a Senior Officers Technical Course before rejoining the 19th DF. In May 1936, he was transferred to command the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, flotilla leader HMS Keppel, also at Malta. In July, 1st DF returned to Portsmouth. En route home, however, Vian's ships responded to a call from the British Consul in Vigo for protection for British residents at the start of the Spanish Civil War. His ships acted in various roles, including, after discussion, the evacuation of British residents. When relieved by the 2nd DF, Vian's ships continued home.
During a period at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Vian was unexpectedly offered an appointment as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Lionel Wells in HMS Arethusa, flagship of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, then part of the Mediterranean Fleet. He greatly preferred sea duties and took up the new appointment in March 1937.
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