THE following memoir of Admiral Ronald Hopwood which appeared in "The Times" of the 2nd of January, 1950
"Born on the 7th of December, 1868, he was the third son of the late John Turner Hopwood. Educated at Cheam School, he entered the Britannia as a naval cadet in 1882, and became a lieutenant in 1890. After serving in the gunboat Sparrow on the Cape and West Africa Station, he joined the Excellent in 1891 to specialize in gunnery, and on qualifying in 1893 was appointed to the junior staff in the Cambridge, Devonport gunnery school. He was gunnery officer of the cruiser Blake in the Channel and the battleship Goliath in China, and also served on the senior staff in the Cambridge.
Promoted to commander in 1902 he was executive officer in the Glory, flagship in China, and the cruiser Duke of Edinburgh, and received further advancement to captain in 1907. After commanding the Grafton and Revenge, attached to the Excellent as gunnery training ships, he was Flag Captain from 1910 to 1912 to Vice-Admiral Jellicoe in the Prince of Wales and Hercules, and from 1913 until after war broke out in 1914 commanded the cruiser Gibraltar. He was appointed in December, 1914, a member of the Ordnance Committee, of which he became vice-president in 1917. He served as such until January, 1919, when he retired on promotion to rear admiral. From 1919 to 1922 he was general secretary of the Navy League. His subsequent advancements to vice-admiral in 1924 and admiral in 1928 were on the retired list. He was made a C.B. in January, 1919.
As an author, Admiral Hopwood first became known by his poem "The Laws of the Navy," published about 1895 when he was a lieutenant. Its shrewd common sense and philosophic outlook made it deservedly popular. In later life he wrote "The Old Way," "The Secret of the Ships," and "The New Navy," all of which were steeped in the tradition of the Service."
