With the Royal Navy in Peace and War: O'er the dark blue sea

摘要

Born in 1895, Vice-Admiral B. B. Schofield first donned a naval uniform in 1908 when Britain's empire, merchant navy and Royal Navy were at their apogee. It was an exciting time, one of great technical innovation; the era of the dreadnought, the submarine, torpedo and mine,precision gunnery, wireless, and aircraft. And it was a time when even a humble cadet could sense that war loomed and destiny beckoned. After Osbourne and Dartmouth, Midshipman Schofield joined his first ship on the eve of the First World War, and as a Sub-lieutenant took part in the Dogger Bank action and the battle of Jutland. He ended the war as a lieutenant serving in the famous Harwich Force. Between the wars Schofield developed his skills firstly in navigation and then as a French and Italian interpreter and moved through a variety of staff appointments and sea service in increasingly large ships, rising to the rank to captain.