Could Bell Davies be allowed to retire during war?

Should an officer like Richard Bell Davies have been allowed to retire during wartime?

Bell Davies likely told Alexander Ramsay that he intended to transfer into reserve operational service, and Ramsay probably accepted that decision.

The suggested exchange between Bell Davies and Alexander Ramsay is a likely reconstruction rather than a documented order. Bell Davies was not trying to leave war work; he intended to escape a senior staff track and continue in operational reserve service. Ramsay, who oversaw naval aviation, would have understood that distinction and probably accepted the move. Formal retirement could therefore be compatible with uninterrupted wartime service.