Walter Cowan
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan, 1st Baronet, KCB
, MVO
, DSO
& & Bar
(11 June 1871–14 February 1956), known as Tich Cowan, was a British
Royal Navy
admiral
who saw service in both World War I
and World War II
; in the latter he was one of the oldest British servicemen on active duty.
, Brecknockshire
, the son of an officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers
. After his father's retirement from the Army
, the family settled in Alveston, Warwickshire
, where his father became a justice of the peace
.
Cowan never went to school, but entered the Royal Navy in 1884 at the training ship, HMS Britannia
, a classmate to fellow future admiral David Beatty
.
, Cowan and Beatty joined HMS Alexandra
, flagship
of the Mediterranean Fleet. He saw service in Benin
and Nigeria
in 1887. Cowan fell sick and was invalided home after less than a year, but later rejoined the Alexandra, returning with her to Britain in 1889. He then joined HMS Volage in the Training Squadron and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant
in 1890. He was appointed to HMS Boadicea
, flagship of the East India Station
. In 1892 he was promoted Lieutenant
and became First Lieutenant
of the gunboat
HMS Redbreast. However, in 1893 he was invalided home with dysentery
.
In 1894 he was appointed to the light cruiser
HMS Barrosa off West Africa
. During this time he participated in a number of expeditions against native and Arab insurgents.
In 1898, he was appointed to the destroyer
HMS Boxer in the Mediterranean, but only stayed in her for six months before being given command of the Nile
gunboat HMS Sultan
. He took part in the Battles of Atbara
and Omdurman
and then commanded the entire Nile gunboat flotilla during the Fashoda Incident
. He received the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) for these actions.
Cowan then particiated in the Second Boer War
, acting as aide-de-camp
to Lord Kitchener and then to Lord Roberts.
Returning to England in 1901, he was appointed First Lieutenant of the battleship
HMS Prince George
. In June 1901 he was promoted Commander
at the early age of thirty. He later took command of the destroyer HMS Falcon and acted as second-in-command of the Devonport
destroyer flotilla under Roger Keyes, who was then developing new destroyer tactics. They became fast friends. Cowan commanded several more destroyers, acquiring a widespread reputation as a destroyer captain, and then succeeded Keyes in command of the flotilla. In 1904 he was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order
(MVO). In 1905 he took command of HMS Skirmisher
and he was promoted Captain
in 1906. He transferred to the cruiser
HMS Sapphire
in 1907 and in 1908 took command of all destroyers of the Channel Fleet
. In 1909 he transferred to the Reserve Fleet
and in 1910 he became captain of the new light cruiser HMS Gloucester
.
In 1912 he became chief of staff to John de Robeck
, who was then Flag Officer Patrols.
HMS New Zealand
. Six months later he took over the 26,270 ton HMS Princess Royal
as flag captain
to Osmond Brock
. He commanded her at the Battle of Jutland
, where she was badly damaged. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1916.
. The squadron kept the sea lanes open to the newly independent Estonia
and Latvia
, enabling them to secure their freedom. During the course of this campaign, coastal torpedo boat
s attached to Cowan's command sank two Bolshevik
battleships and one cruiser at Kronstadt
naval base. Augustus Agar received the Victoria Cross
for his part in these events. Andrew Browne Cunningham, later Britain's leading World War II
admiral, commanded Cowan's destroyers in this campaign. Cowan's forceful diplomacy ensured a successful mission, for which he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1919 and created a Baronet
, "of the Baltic", in the 1921 New Year Honours.
. He was unemployed from 1923 to 1925, although he was promoted Vice-Admiral in 1923. In 1925 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland
and in 1926 Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station, holding the command until 1928. He was promoted Admiral
in 1927. His final appointment was as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King in 1930. He retired in 1931.
. Cowan voluntarily took the lower rank of Commander
and went to Scotland in 1941 to train the commandos in small boat handling. He served in North Africa
, where he saw action at Mechili
and at the Battle of Bir Hakeim
, where he was captured on 27 May 1942, having attached himself to the Indian
18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry (his commando unit having been disbanded). He was fighting an Italian tank
crew single-handedly armed only with a revolver
. Repatriated in 1943, he rejoined the commandos and saw action in Italy
during 1944. He was awarded a bar to his DSO. He retired once more in 1945.
named a British-made minehunter of the Sandown class
the Admiral Cowan
.
|-
|-
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& & Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(11 June 1871–14 February 1956), known as Tich Cowan, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
who saw service in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; in the latter he was one of the oldest British servicemen on active duty.
Early days
Cowan was born in CrickhowellCrickhowell
Crickhowell is a small town in Powys, Mid Wales.-Location:The name Crickhowell is taken from that of the nearby Iron Age hill fort of Crug Hywel above the town, the Welsh language name being anglicised by map-makers and local English-speaking people...
, Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire
Brecknockshire , also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.-Geography:...
, the son of an officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
. After his father's retirement from the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, the family settled in Alveston, Warwickshire
Alveston, Warwickshire
Alveston is a village in Warwickshire, England. It was the home of the playwright J B Priestley in his later years, who lived at Kissing Tree House in the village. The house was called Avonmore in the 1901 census and his secretary lived in Avonmore Cottage which is still there in Kissing Tree...
, where his father became a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
Cowan never went to school, but entered the Royal Navy in 1884 at the training ship, HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
, a classmate to fellow future admiral David Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
.
Early service
In 1886, as MidshipmenMidshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, Cowan and Beatty joined HMS Alexandra
HMS Alexandra (1875)
HMS Alexandra was a central battery ironclad of the Victorian Royal Navy, whose seagoing career was from 1877 to 1900. She spent much of her career as a flagship, and took part in operations to deter Russian aggression against Turkey in 1878 and the bombardment of Alexandria in 1882.-Background:At...
, flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Mediterranean Fleet. He saw service in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in 1887. Cowan fell sick and was invalided home after less than a year, but later rejoined the Alexandra, returning with her to Britain in 1889. He then joined HMS Volage in the Training Squadron and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
in 1890. He was appointed to HMS Boadicea
HMS Boadicea (1875)
HMS Boadicea was a launched in 1875.Robert Falcon Scott served on her early in his career....
, flagship of the East India Station
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
. In 1892 he was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and became First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
of the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
HMS Redbreast. However, in 1893 he was invalided home with dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
.
In 1894 he was appointed to the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
HMS Barrosa off West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. During this time he participated in a number of expeditions against native and Arab insurgents.
In 1898, he was appointed to the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Boxer in the Mediterranean, but only stayed in her for six months before being given command of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
gunboat HMS Sultan
HMS Sultan
HMS Sultan is a shore base of the Royal Navy in Gosport, Hampshire, England.Formerly RAF Gosport and then the Royal Naval Air Station HMS Siskin,-External links:*...
. He took part in the Battles of Atbara
Battle of Atbara
The Battle of Atbara took place during the Second Sudan War. Anglo-Egyptian forces defeated 15,000 Sudanese rebels, called Mahdists or Dervishes. The battle proved to be the turning point in the conquest of Sudan by a British and Egyptian coalition....
and Omdurman
Battle of Omdurman
At the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the British Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
and then commanded the entire Nile gunboat flotilla during the Fashoda Incident
Fashoda Incident
The Fashoda Incident was the climax of imperial territorial disputes between Britain and France in Eastern Africa. A French expedition to Fashoda on the White Nile sought to gain control of the Nile River and thereby force Britain out of Egypt. The British held firm as Britain and France were on...
. He received the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) for these actions.
Cowan then particiated in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, acting as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lord Kitchener and then to Lord Roberts.
Returning to England in 1901, he was appointed First Lieutenant of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Prince George
HMS Prince George (1895)
HMS Prince George was a Majestic-class predreadnought battleship launched in 1895. She was named after the future George V of the United Kingdom and was the fourth and final ship to bear that name.-Technical description:...
. In June 1901 he was promoted Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
at the early age of thirty. He later took command of the destroyer HMS Falcon and acted as second-in-command of the Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
destroyer flotilla under Roger Keyes, who was then developing new destroyer tactics. They became fast friends. Cowan commanded several more destroyers, acquiring a widespread reputation as a destroyer captain, and then succeeded Keyes in command of the flotilla. In 1904 he was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(MVO). In 1905 he took command of HMS Skirmisher
HMS Skirmisher (1905)
HMS Skirmisher was one of two Sentinel class scout cruisers which served with the Royal Navy. She was built by Vickers Limited, laid down in July 1903, launched on 7 February 1905 and completed in July 1905 at a cost of about £282,000. She sported a partial turtle deck forward and shorter funnels...
and he was promoted Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in 1906. He transferred to the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Sapphire
HMS Sapphire (1904)
HMS Sapphire was a third-class protected cruiser of the Topaze class of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1904, saw active service in World War I and was sold for scrap in 1921.-Construction:...
in 1907 and in 1908 took command of all destroyers of the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
. In 1909 he transferred to the Reserve Fleet
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
and in 1910 he became captain of the new light cruiser HMS Gloucester
HMS Gloucester (1909)
HMS Gloucester was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 28 October 1909 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company. She formed part of the Bristol subgroup....
.
In 1912 he became chief of staff to John de Robeck
John de Robeck
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG, GCVO was an admiral in the British Royal Navy who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles during World War I....
, who was then Flag Officer Patrols.
World War I
In 1914, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, he was given command of the 18,500 ton battlecruiserBattlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
HMS New Zealand
HMS New Zealand (1911)
HMS New Zealand was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Launched in 1911, the ship's construction was funded by the government of New Zealand as a gift to Britain, and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1912...
. Six months later he took over the 26,270 ton HMS Princess Royal
HMS Princess Royal (1911)
HMS Princess Royal was the second of two s built for the Royal Navy before World War I. Designed in response to the s of the German Navy, the ships significantly improved on the speed, armament, and armour of the preceding...
as flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
to Osmond Brock
Osmond Brock
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886, he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every...
. He commanded her at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, where she was badly damaged. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in 1916.
The Baltic
In June 1917 Cowan was made Commodore of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron. In 1918 he was promoted Rear-Admiral, staying in command of the squadron. In January 1919 the squadron was sent to the BalticBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The squadron kept the sea lanes open to the newly independent Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, enabling them to secure their freedom. During the course of this campaign, coastal torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s attached to Cowan's command sank two Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
battleships and one cruiser at Kronstadt
Kronstadt
Kronstadt , also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt |crown]]" and Stadt for "city"); is a municipal town in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on Kotlin Island, west of Saint Petersburg proper near the head of the Gulf of Finland. Population: It is also...
naval base. Augustus Agar received the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his part in these events. Andrew Browne Cunningham, later Britain's leading World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
admiral, commanded Cowan's destroyers in this campaign. Cowan's forceful diplomacy ensured a successful mission, for which he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1919 and created a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, "of the Baltic", in the 1921 New Year Honours.
Between the Wars
In 1921, Cowan was appointed to command the Battlecruiser Squadron, flying his flag in HMS HoodHMS Hood (51)
HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be...
. He was unemployed from 1923 to 1925, although he was promoted Vice-Admiral in 1923. In 1925 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
and in 1926 Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station, holding the command until 1928. He was promoted Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in 1927. His final appointment was as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King in 1930. He retired in 1931.
Oldest warrior
During World War II he was given a job by his old friend Roger Keyes, then head of the CommandosBritish Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
. Cowan voluntarily took the lower rank of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
and went to Scotland in 1941 to train the commandos in small boat handling. He served in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, where he saw action at Mechili
Mechili
Mechili is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the former site of a turkish fort. It’s nearly east of Benghazi, and west of Timimi.-Geography:Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation...
and at the Battle of Bir Hakeim
Battle of Bir Hakeim
Bir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Lieutenant-General ...
, where he was captured on 27 May 1942, having attached himself to the Indian
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry (his commando unit having been disbanded). He was fighting an Italian tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
crew single-handedly armed only with a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
. Repatriated in 1943, he rejoined the commandos and saw action in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during 1944. He was awarded a bar to his DSO. He retired once more in 1945.
Tribute
In 2007 the Estonian NavyEstonian Navy
The Merevägi is the navy of Republic of Estonia and is part of the unified Kaitsevägi .In total, there are about four commissioned ships in the Estonian Navy, including three auxiliary ships; the displacement of the navy is under 10,000 tonnes making it one of the smallest navies in the world...
named a British-made minehunter of the Sandown class
Sandown class minehunter
The Sandown class is a class of minehunter originally built for the British Royal Navy). Sandown-class vessels also serve with the Royal Saudi Navy and the Estonian Navy...
the Admiral Cowan
EML Admiral Cowan (M313)
EML Admiral Cowan is a Sandown-class minehunter, the former HMS Sandown lead ship of her class of the Royal Navy, now of the Estonian Navy. She is part of the Estonian Navy's Mineships Division. The commanding officer of the vessel is Lieutenant Commander Johan-Elias Seljamaa...
.
External links
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