 He was advanced to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 2 August 1910.Promoted to rear admiral on 27 August 1911 and, having been appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 27 September 1912, he became second-in-command of the 1st Battle Squadron, with his flag in the battleship HMS St "Vincent", in December 1912.In 1912, he was appointed as one of the assessors assisting the British inquiry into the sinking of the RMS "Titanic".