The Royal Navy lacked a mature permanent naval staff even though its Intelligence Division assembled much of the information needed for war plans. Plans remained closely held by the First Sea Lord, limiting how widely officers could be briefed and trained against them. Wireless specialists were similarly scarce, so the Navy could not assign one permanently to every senior commander. Instead, officers from Vernon joined flagships for maneuvers and crises, making Somerville part of an improvised staff system before communications expertise became institutionalized.
Notable Point · 29:22-30:37
Wireless specialists filled a gap in the prewar naval staff
Before the Royal Navy had enough communications specialists for permanent staffs, officers such as Somerville moved between Vernon, exercises, and flagships as operational needs demanded.