Early Career
Born the second son of Colonel Spencer Field, 6th Royal Warwickshire regiment and Catherine Field (née) Darrah, Field was educated privately before joining the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS Britannia in 1884. He was posted as a midshipman to the armoured frigate HMS Minotaur in the Channel Squadron in November 1886. He transferred to the armoured cruiser HMS Imperieuse on the China Station in March 1888 and to the corvette HMS Constance also on the China Station in early 1889. Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 14 November 1890, he was posted to the battleship HMS Dreadnought in the Mediterranean Fleet in April 1892. Promoted again to lieutenant on 1 April 1893, he joined the corvette HMS Volage in the Training Squadron in October 1894 before attending the torpedo school HMS Vernon from November 1895.
After serving on the directing staff at the torpedo school HMS Defiance at Devonport, Field became torpedo officer in HMS Barfleur on the China Station in July 1898. He was mentioned in dispatches for leading a small raiding party which landed at Tianjin in response to the Boxer Rebellion tasked with repairing damaged trains under heavy fire: he was wounded during the action.
Promoted to commander on 30 June 1902, Field was posted to the battleship HMS Albion on the China Station in August 1902 before rejoining the staff at HMS Vernon in 1904. Promoted to captain on 31 December 1907, he became commanding officer of HMS Defiance, the torpedo school at Devonport. He was given command of HMS Duncan as flag captain to Admiral Martyn Jerram, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1910 and then became superintendent of the Royal Navy signal schools in 1912.
Read more about this topic: Frederick Field (Royal Navy Officer)
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