Q&A · 15:11-16:57

Bligh and Codrington in a modern navy

Codrington's outlook might translate to a Cold War navy, while Bligh is judged too closely shaped by the command culture of his own era.

Question

How would William Bligh and Edward Codrington fit if moved from their own eras into a modern navy?

Short answer

Codrington might adapt to a Cold War navy, but Bligh was too much a creature of his own command environment.

Notes

Codrington is judged adaptable enough to serve in a Cold War navy. Bligh's command habits are considered much more closely tied to his own period. A modern service would give senior officers more opportunities to observe and check his behaviour. It could also change how far he was promoted, so moving the historical man into a later institution would alter the circumstances that shaped his command.