the Admiralty. Slattery was again attached to the Royal Air Force during 1938, and held the rank of wing commander. Slattery was promoted to captain at the end of 1938, whilst still attached to the Royal Air Force, and was, at the time, the Royal Navy's youngest captain. He would be assigned the role Director of Air Material and then Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production, Ministry of Aircraft Production. His work in these roles resulted in further development of the Fairey Swordfish and the introduction of the Hawker Sea Hurricane and the Supermarine Seafire. The command of followed in late 1941 and lasted through to June 1942, in what would be an eventful assignment. His next posting was to Kenya as Chief Staff Officer to Commodore-in-Charge Naval Air Stations at Mackinnon Road, before returning to the UK in February 1943, taking up the role of Chief Naval Representative, Ministry of Aircraft Production & Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production. Slattery was promoted to commodore at the time of this posting. Slattery's final promotion, to the rank of rear-admiral occurred between June 1944 and July 1945, and his final role with the Royal Navy was a continuation of his previous role, with additional responsibilities, serving as Vice-Controller (Air), Chief of Naval Air Equipment and Chief Naval Representative and Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1948. Business career Slattery's business interests directly related to his military work; he was directly involved with aerospace and shipbuilding industries when he retired from active service. His first role, and that which he would hold for longest, was as managing director of the Northern Ireland-based Short Brothers and Harland, a role that he took up in 1948. He served solely as managing director until 1952, then additionally took on the role of chairman. Short Brothers and Harland main work was manufacturing aircraft under contract and licence agreements with the Ministry of Supply and other aircraft builders. He was joined at Short Brothers and Harland by the naval aviator Captain Henry St John Fancourt, who served under Slattery as the Deputy Chief Naval Representative, Ministry of Aircraft Production. Slattery led Short Brothers and Harland at a time when they developed a number of experimental aircraft designs, though none would see significant production. The Short SC.1 was one of a number of experimental designs produced by Shorts,