of its efficiency. The flotilla consisted of four ships, and Agar commanded the flotilla leader until July 1927. By the late 1920s, Agar and his wife were living apart; they divorced in 1931. This probably had an adverse effect on his chances for promotion, keeping him from reaching flag rank. After these assignments, Agar was sent on courses and on shore duty for several years, including a stint as naval advisor to the New Zealand Delegation to the London Naval Conference 1930. On 30 September 1930, Agar was placed in command of the sloop attached to the North America and West Indies Squadron. During this time he married Ina Margaret Lindner in Bermuda, a union which lasted the rest of his life. He served aboard Scarborough until September 1932. Other seagoing commands followed, first in early 1936 aboard the 4,190 ton anti-aircraft cruiser , part of the Reserve Fleet at the Nore. Then, from 15 January 1937 he commanded his favourite ship, the 7,300-ton light cruiser , which, along with her sister, , was the fastest ship in the Royal Navy at 35 knots. Emerald was attached to the East India Station from January 1937 to July 1938. Agar then served as captain of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, England, but with war in the offing he was returned to command of the Emerald in the summer of 1939. Second World War HMS Emerald, gold ingots and the North Atlantic convoys When war began on 3 September 1939 Agar was in command of the Emerald and, as in 1914, was directed to Scapa Flow. His ship was soon ordered onto the "Northern Patrol", between the Faroe Islands and Iceland, to intercept any German merchant ships trying to return to their homeland. A second duty was to stop neutral ships and check for contraband headed for Germany. Emerald had just returned to Scapa on 1 October 1939 when Agar received "Top Secret" orders to proceed "with all despatch" to Plymouth, England. On 3 October, Emerald dropped anchor in Plymouth. A short time later Agar was being briefed by Rear Admiral Lancelot Holland on his mission. The written instructions were: On 7 October 1939, Emerald sailed from Plymouth, England for Halifax, Nova Scotia with the gold bullion from the Bank of England bound for Montreal, Quebec, Canada to be used to pay for American war materials. This voyage was a component of