John Luce, captain of Glasgow, is praised as a first-class commanding officer. The discussion then recalls Doveton Sturdee's association with the Beresford camp during its conflict with John Fisher. Fisher was notorious for holding grudges against professional opponents, so factional identity could affect an officer's prospects. Cradock's ability to move between both camps marks him as an unusual figure within a divided senior service.
Notable Point · 1:03:09-1:03:28
Cradock between the Fisher and Beresford camps
A brief institutional aside places Cradock and Glasgow's captain John Luce within the Royal Navy's bitter prewar factional politics.