Editing George Callaghan (section)

===Higher rank===
[[File:Underwood & Underwood © 1906 No. 10495 - Messina - The once beautiful Water-front after the earthquake dett.jpg|thumb|left|The carnage after the [[1908 Messina earthquake|Messina earthquake]]; Callaghan assisted with the provision of aid to survivors]]
Callaghan became commanding officer of the cruiser {{HMS|Edgar|1890|6}} and commanded her in manoeuvres in Summer 1901 before becoming commanding officer of the [[battleship]] {{HMS|Caesar|1896|6}} on the [[Mediterranean Fleet|Mediterranean Station]] in December 1901.<ref name=heath38/> He went on to be Captain of [[HMNB Portsmouth|Portsmouth Dockyard]] early in 1904 and commanding officer of the battleship {{HMS|Prince of Wales|1902|6}} on the Mediterranean Station shortly thereafter.<ref name=heath39>Heathcote, p. 39</ref> He was appointed naval [[aide-de-camp]] to [[Edward VII|the King]] on 25 April 1904.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27676|page=3081|date=13 May 1904}}</ref> Promoted to [[rear-admiral]] on 1 July 1905,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27814|page=4700|date=7 July 1905}}</ref> he became Second-in-Command, Channel Fleet, with his flag in the battleship {{HMS|Illustrious|1896|6}}, in 1906 and commander of the 5th Cruiser Squadron, with his flag in the armoured cruiser {{HMS|Leviathan|1901|6}}, in 1907.<ref name=heath39/> Appointed a [[Royal Victorian Order|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] on 3 August 1907,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28048|page=5390|date=6 August 1907}}</ref> he went on to be Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag in the battleship {{HMS|Duncan|1901|6}} in 1908.<ref name=heath39/> In the latter role he assisted with the provision of aid to survivors of the [[1908 Messina earthquake|Messina earthquake]], which had caused the loss of circa 123,000 lives, in December 1908 for which he was advanced to [[Royal Victorian Order|Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] on 30 April 1909<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28246|page=3277|date=30 April 1909}}</ref> and appointed a Grand Officer of the [[Order of the Crown of Italy]] on 15 April 1912.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28599|page=2702|date=16 April 1912}}</ref> Promoted to [[vice-admiral]] on 27 April 1910,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28362|page=3063|date=3 May 1910}}</ref> he became Second-in-Command of the [[Home Fleet]], with his flag in the battleship {{HMS|King Edward VII}} later that month.<ref name=heath39/> He was advanced to [[Order of the Bath|Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] on 24 June 1910.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28388 |page=4475 |supp=y |display-supp=Supplement to the London Gazette Extraordinary |date=23 June 1910}}</ref>

Callaghan became Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship {{HMS|Neptune|1909|6}} and with the acting rank of [[admiral]] in November 1911.<ref name=heath39/> Following an inspection of his fleet by [[George V|King George V]] he was advanced to [[Royal Victorian Order|Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]] on 11 May 1912<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28607|page=3475|date=14 May 1912}}</ref> and, after a separate visit by the President [[Raymond Poincaré]] of France in 1913, he was also awarded the Grand Cordon of the French [[Legion of Honour]].<ref>Walford, E., ''The county families of the United Kingdom'' vol. 59 (1919) page 59</ref> He was promoted to the substantive rank of full admiral on 17 May 1913<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28722|page=3753|date=27 May 1913}}</ref> and was advised in December 1913 that his tenure would be extended for another twelve months. With increasing international tension he started preparing his fleet for war.<ref name=heath39/>