Captains

Alastair Mars

Rank: Captain

Submarine command and first-hand recording of undersea service.

Astley Cooper Key

Rank: Captain

Sea command in the era of steam transition.

Barry Domvile

Rank: Captain

Naval intelligence and command experience.

Beauchamp Seymour

Rank: Captain

Active command before later admiral’s rank.

Benjamin Hallowell Carew

Rank: Captain

Active wartime ship command.

Bernard Warburton-Lee

Rank: Captain

Destroyer command and early-war action in northern waters.

Cecil Buckmaster

Rank: Captain

Destroyer service and command in industrial naval war.

Cecil Harcourt

Rank: Captain

Operational and planning command in modern war.

Charles Austen

Rank: Captain

Wartime captaincy in the active fleet.

Charles Davis Lucas

Rank: Captain

Gallantry and continuing professional command service.

Charles Lamb

Rank: Captain

Carrier-based naval aviation service.

Charles Lightoller

Rank: Captain

Maritime and reserve service with command responsibilities.

Charles Little

Rank: Captain

Coastal and small-craft command in wartime.

Charles Napier

Rank: Captain

Active steam-era command before senior advancement.

Charles Rumney Samson

Rank: Captain

Pioneering naval aviation and early command experience.

Cyril Field

Rank: Captain

Professional command in the Victorian navy.

Dennis Cambell

Rank: Captain

Carrier aviation and naval flying development.

Donald Cameron

Rank: Captain

Midget submarine operations and special maritime missions.

Edward Berry

Rank: Captain

Trusted ship command in the Nelson era.

Edward Courtney Boyle

Rank: Captain

Undersea warfare and offensive submarine patrols.

Eric Brown

Rank: Captain

Fleet Air Arm service and naval aviation leadership roles.

Francis Austen

Rank: Captain

Long service in command through wartime and peace.

Francis Crozier

Rank: Captain

Polar captaincy and command in Arctic exploration.

Francis Leopold McClintock

Rank: Captain

Arctic search and exploratory command.

Frederic John Walker

Rank: Captain

Escort group command in anti-submarine warfare.

Frederick Lewis Maitland

Rank: Captain

Late-war ship command in the sailing navy.

Frederick Marryat

Rank: Captain

Sea command and later literary representation of naval life.

Geoffrey Layton

Rank: Captain

Regional command experience before higher rank.

George Back

Rank: Captain

Exploration and expeditionary command.

George Cranfield Berkeley

Rank: Captain

Ship command in Atlantic and imperial waters.

George Downie

Rank: Captain

Command in North American waters.

George Duff

Rank: Captain

Captaincy under intense battle conditions.

George Hardinge

Rank: Captain

Ship command and battle service.

George Nares

Rank: Captain

Surveying and exploratory command.

George Strong Nares

Rank: Captain

Captain of surveying and exploration service.

George Tryon

Rank: Captain

Modern fleet culture and command in the steam navy.

Guy Grantham

Rank: Captain

Operational command followed by later senior advancement.

Harold Burrough

Rank: Captain

Cruiser command in major wartime operations.

Henry Blackwood

Rank: Captain

Frigate command, reconnaissance, and operational communication.

Herbert Richmond

Rank: Captain

Command experience alongside later strategic writing.

Hugh Mackenzie

Rank: Captain

Submarine command and professional wartime service.

James Clark Ross

Rank: Captain

Polar command and scientific voyaging.

James Cook

Rank: Captain

Dates: 7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779

Pacific exploration and charting

James Hillyar

Rank: Captain

Overseas command in the global wartime navy.

Jeremy Black

Rank: Captain

Submarine and professional command service in the later Royal Navy.

John Cooke

Rank: Captain

Captaincy in the line-of-battle fleet.

John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher

Rank: Captain

Service in command before later senior reforming rank.

John Franklin

Rank: Captain

Exploratory captaincy in northern regions.

John Lort Stokes

Rank: Captain

Hydrographic and survey command in Australian waters.

John Pasco

Rank: Captain

Signals expertise and later command rank.

John Ross

Rank: Captain

Exploratory command in northern waters.

Kenneth Dewar

Rank: Captain

Naval command experience and later strategic criticism.

Louis Mountbatten

Rank: Captain

Destroyer command before higher wartime office.

Martin Nasmith

Rank: Captain

Submarine service leading into later command stature.

Matthew Flinders

Rank: Captain

Navigation, survey, and command associated with Australia.

Mervyn Wingfield

Rank: Captain

Submarine operations in wartime theatres.

Michael Le Fanu

Rank: Captain

Professional command in the postwar Royal Navy.

Murray Sueter

Rank: Captain

Naval aviation organization and command-related authority.

Nicholas Monsarrat

Rank: Captain

Escort service and later literary treatment of naval life.

Norman Holbrook

Rank: Captain

Early submarine service and later command career.

Percy Scott

Rank: Captain

Gunnery professionalism and influential ship command.

Peter Gretton

Rank: Captain

Escort command and Atlantic wartime service.

Peter Scott

Rank: Captain

Small-craft and coastal forces command.

Philip Broke

Rank: Captain

Disciplined ship command and strong emphasis on gunnery and preparation.

Philip Durham

Rank: Captain

Sea command in the line-of-battle navy.

Philip Mack

Rank: Captain

Destroyer command and wartime sea service.

Ralph Leatham

Rank: Captain

Operations and signals-related command work.

Reginald Hall

Rank: Captain

Intelligence service with senior naval command background.

Reginald Henderson

Rank: Captain

Service leadership connected with naval aviation.

Robert FitzRoy

Rank: Captain

Surveying command and scientific service aboard HMS Beagle.

Robert McClure

Rank: Captain

Captaincy in Arctic exploration.

Robert Ryder

Rank: Captain

Combined operations and raiding command.

Robert Sherbrooke

Rank: Captain

Convoy escort command in Arctic and Atlantic conditions.

Robert Waller Otway

Rank: Captain

Professional wartime ship command.

Rupert Lonsdale

Rank: Captain

Submarine service and command experience in wartime.

Sherard Osborn

Rank: Captain

Captaincy in exploration and Arctic service.

Stephen Roskill

Rank: Captain

Naval service and later authoritative historical writing.

Terence Robertson

Rank: Captain

Service-connected naval writing and interpretation.

Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald

Rank: Captain

Sea captain whose daring reputation was built before later promotion.

Thomas Foley

Rank: Captain

Bold tactical ship command in the Georgian navy.

Thomas Fremantle

Rank: Captain

Long-serving command in the active fleet.

Thomas Masterman Hardy

Rank: Captain

Flag captaincy and major wartime sea service.

Tom Phillips

Rank: Captain

Sea command before later admiral’s rank.

Walker, Frederic John

Rank: Captain

Escort group command in anti-submarine warfare.

William Agnew

Rank: Captain

Escort warfare and convoy protection.

William Bligh

Rank: Captain

Navigation, command controversy, and seamanship.

William George Tennant

Rank: Captain

Operational sea command and evacuation leadership.

William Hobson

Rank: Captain

Naval command and later colonial service.

William Hoste

Rank: Captain

Independent frigate command in the Adriatic theatre.

William Jameson

Rank: Captain

Modern naval medical and service-related command responsibilities.

William Nicholson

Rank: Captain

Modern naval command in the industrial fleet.

William Robert Broughton

Rank: Captain

Surveying voyages and command in distant waters.

William Tennant

Rank: Captain

Operational leadership in evacuation and amphibious settings.