Yates Stirling Jr.
On July 20, 1924, he became Captain of the Yard, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., with additional duty as Assistant Superintendent of the Naval Gun Factory. He was promoted to rear admiral on October 6, 1926 and in December that year Stirling was designated Chief of Staff to Admiral Charles F. Hughes, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet, based at San Pedro, California. At the October 27, 1927 Navy Day Ceremonies at San Pedro harbor, despite an all-day downpour, thousands of Southern Californians gathered for the festivities, including ships' tours, band performances of patriotic music and the key-note address given by Stirling, "Merchant Marine, the Navy and the Nation".
James Young (Royal Navy officer, born 1717)
Young was advanced to flag rank towards the end of the Seven Years' War, being promoted to rear-admiral on 21 October 1762. Further promotions followed, he attained the rank of vice-admiral on 28 October 1770, and became commander-in-chief in the Leeward Islands Station in April 1775. He raised his flag aboard the 50-gun and sailed to take up his post on 26 April. The American War of Independence broke out during Young's time in command, and he was tasked with using his small naval force to interdict the supply of arms and gunpowder to rebel forces, and to defend British trade from American privateers and warships. He struggled to combat the delivery of weapons to the Americans. His squadron had too few fast cruisers, and the Americans were being openly supplied from the neutral Caribbean possessions, from the Dutch-held St Eustatius and the French at Martinique. Frustrated, Young himself denounced the "very pernicious traffic carried on between his Britannic majesty's rebellious subjects ... and ... St. Eustatias." He was more successful though in ensuring British commerce remained secure, organizing convoy systems by mid-1776 to escort merchant ships to Britain, and cruising with some success against American privateers and warships. His squadron captured 205 American merchant ships and captured or destroyed seventeen American privateers and warships.