§ Sir R. Youngasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the number of engineer-commanders commissioned from engine-room artificers and 640W mechanicians, respectively, who have been placed on the retired List; the number at present in the zone for promotion to engineer-captain; the seniority of the last commanders (E) promoted; the seniority of the senior engineer-commanders, ex-artificer; and when one or more of the latter officers are likely to be promoted to engineer-captain, seeing that the promotion of executive commanders, ex-mate, commenced over five years ago?
§ Mr. ShakespeareThe number of engineer commanders promoted from engine-room artificers and mechanicians who have been placed on the retired list is 14 and 1 respectively.
The number at present in the zone for promotion to engineer captain is 12.
Two of the commanders (E) last promoted were of seniority 31st December, 1926, and the remaining two of seniority 30th June, 1927.
The seniority of the most senior engineer commander ex-artificer is 30th June, 1928, the next 30th June, 1939, followed by a batch of seniority 31st December, 1929
The claims of the above officers for promotion to the rank of engineer captain, together with those of other officers similarly eligible by rank and seniority, will be reviewed twice yearly in accordance with the usual practice. In addition to the zone of promotion for executive commanders being some four years lower than for commanders of the engineering branch the mate (E) scheme was brought into being about a year and a-half later than that for the executive mate.