Morris Edward Cochrane
Commander Morris Edward Cochrane, D.S.O., R.N., Retired (13 May, 1879 – 11 October, 1943) served in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Cochrane was born in Clevedon, the son of J. H. Cochrane, Esq..
Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 9 November, 1900. He passed as acting interpreter in French in January 1905 and received his first sea-going command, the destroyer Ranger. After two months, he moved on to a months' temporary command of Fawn in reserve at Malta before being appointed in command of the destroyer Ardent on 10 April 1905.
Cochrane was in command of Ardent and participating in night exercises off Malta on 17 April, 1906 when his destroyer accidentally rammed the "hostile" T.B. 84. Cochrane was not blamed in the sinking of the torpedo boat.[1] On 5 June, he was invalided from command due to Mediterranean Fever. He was sent home in S.S. Maine.
Cochrane was appointed to the second class protected cruiser Astræa as first and gunnery officer, and as acting interpreter in French in September 1908 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 9 November, 1908. He remained with the ship for two years.
Cochrane was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 4 December, 1910. In retirement, he took fourteen- and nine-day courses in minesweeping. When the war broke out, he was sent to Devonport to support minesweeping efforts. In late August 1915, he was appointed to command a group of minesweeping vessels, working first in Dreel Castle and then in Manzanita from 1 October 1915. He delivered good service working with drifters in the Adriatic, receiving recognition for such from the Rear-Admiral and rising to be second-in-command of all such British drifters there. In February 1916, he moved Italian troops in bad weather while under fire from shore.
Though he had applied for command of a monitor, when he was superseded in mid-May 1916, he was soon placed in the armed merchant cruiser Alsatian as an acting Commander, and as acting interpreter in French, joining the ship at Liverpool on 27 June 1916.[2]
From late November 1916 throug the end of the war, Cochrane worked with the Intelligence Department, specializing in "enemy submarines".
Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Commander on 13 May, 1919.
World War II
Cochrane worked at Bermuda as a censor at the Central Telegraph Office and died of bronchial ailment.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Frederick H. Hallowes |
Captain of H.M.S. Ranger 3 Jan, 1905 – 28 Mar, 1905 |
Succeeded by Arthur S. Chambers |
| Preceded by Albert M. H. Phillips |
Captain of H.M.S. Fawn 28 Mar, 1905 – 10 Apr, 1905 |
Succeeded by Reginald St. P. Parry |
| Preceded by William D. Paton |
Captain of H.M.S. Ardent 10 Apr, 1905[3] – 5 Jun, 1906 |
Succeeded by Nigel K. W. Barttelot |
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M. T.B. 2 18 Jan, 1907[4] – 9 Aug, 1907 |
Succeeded by Sydney L. K. Lawford |
| Preceded by Philip S. R. Conron |
Captain of H.M.S. Bullfinch 9 Aug, 1907[5] – 26 Jun, 1908 |
Succeeded by Gerald C. Wynter |
Footnotes
