| He was appointed as a Naval Cadet RN 1920. He served in the Royal Naval College Osborne 1920. He served in the Royal Naval College Dartmouth 1921. He was appointed as a Midshipman RN 1924. He served in H.M.S. Iron Duke 1924. He served in H.M.S. Eagle for Midshipman's Air Course. He served in H.M.S. Wanderer for Destroyer Training Serving on Tangier Patrol to Interdict Gunrunners. He served in H.M.S. Resolution 1926. He served in H.M.S. Royal Sovereign 1926. He was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant RN 1927. He served in the Royal Naval College Greenwich for Lieutenant's Qualifying Courses 1927. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant RN 1928. He served in H.M.S. Durban for Watchkeeping Certificate 1928. He was appointed as a Lieutenant RN 1928. He served in H.M.S. Hawkins 1930. He served in H.M.S. Stuart 1931. He served in H.M.S. Stuart as First Lieutenant. He served in H.M.S. Sardonyx 1932, RAF Lee-on-Solent for Observer Course 1932. He served in H.M.S. Glorious as Observer Officer 1933. He served in H.M.S. St. Angelo 1934. He served in H.M.S. Furious as Observer Officer 1934. He served in H.M.S. Apollo 1936. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RN 1937. He served in H.M.S. Courageous for 822 Squadron (Swordfish) 1938. He served in the Royal Naval College Greenwich for RN Staff College Course 1939. He served in H.M.S. Courageous 1939. He served in H.M.S. Daedalus for 822 Squadron (Skua) for Experimental Squadron 1939, RAF Mildenhall for RAF Wellington Squadron 1939. (With seniority dated Commander RN (With seniority dated 31/12/1939). He served in the Admiralty for Duty With Naval Air Division 1940. He served in H.M.S. Devonshire as Air Staff Officer on Staff of Admiral Cunningham. (His report, "Battleship and cruiser have left", which was flashed to Admiral Tovey in his flagship at Scapa Flow on May 22, 1941, set in motion the Atlantic hunt for the Bismarck that ended in the battleship's destruction on May 27. ) He served as Naval Liaison Officer to Vichy Forces at Dualla, RN Air Station Hatston as Executive Officer 1941. (In 1940 he was attached as air staff officer to an expedition to Dakar whose purpose was the establishment of a Free French base there. But nothing came of this and he moved on to French Equatorial Africa where, in marked contrast, General Jacques Philippe Leclerc was establishing a base which would become a focus for the build-up of Free French power. Rotherham was responsible for the provision of air reconnaissance, assembling a squadron of Blenheim bombers for this purpose. For this work he was appointed OBE in 1941. ) He served in RN Air Station Twatt as Commanding Officer 1941. He served in H.M.S. Formidable as Air Staff Officer 1942. He served in H.M.S. Illustrious 1942, H.M.S. Albatross 1942, H.M.S. Ukussa as Commanding Officer at Katakarunde Ceylon 1942. He was appointed as an A/Captain RN 1943, H.M.S. Trouncer (In command) 1945, (On Loan from RN to RCN) 1948. He served in HMCS Bytown for NHQ as Director of Naval Aviation 1948. (He was retired in 1949.) He was appointed as a Captain RN (Retired List), (Transferred to RCNR on Retired List). He was appointed as a Captain RCN(R) Retired. (He received five "firsts" in Lieutenant's qualifying courses. He was qualified with a Watchkeeping Certificate and as an Air Observer. He took part in he bombing of Wilhelmshaven Germany in 1939. He survived the sinking of H.M.S. Courageous.) |
