Thomas Buckley Curteis commanded the Home Fleet, led operations in 1942, and then served as commander-in-chief on the America and West Indies Station. The station was important when he received it but had become far less important later in the war. By 1944 he held full admiral's rank. The Royal Navy needed only a limited number of officers at that level, and no suitable next command was available. His retirement followed a structural ceiling rather than a judgment that his wartime service lacked value.
Notable Point · 51:37-56:00
Thomas Buckley Curteis ran out of suitable commands
A full admiral could retire after major wartime appointments simply because the service had very few equivalent posts left to offer.