NEW COMMODORE

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1938, Page 12

NEW COMMODORE

N.Z. Naval Division CAPTAIN HORAN’S CAREER LONDON, April 23. The new commodore commanding the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, Captain H. E. Horan, was the first naval officer to gain the D.S.C. during the Great War. He was mentioned in despatches fox' his services in the Heligoland Bight action, and it was for this he was decorated.

Captain Horan was second-in-com-mand of the destroyer Liberty during the engagement on August 28, 1910, and after his captain was killed ne took command and brought his ship out of action “in an extremely able and gallant manner under most trying conditions.” Captain Horan is married and hi’ wife and daughter will accompany him to New Zealand by the Remuera on April 28. They are greatly looking forward to their sojourn in the Dominion.

Born at Newcastle West, Western Ireland, Captain Horan entered the training ship Britannia as a cadet m 1906 and became a midshipman the following year. He was promoted suolieutenant in 1910, lieutenant in 1911. lieutenant-commander in 1919, commander in 1924, and captain in 1930. He w>as attached to destroyer units throughout the war. Just after the war, while in command of the destroyer Wessex, he was instrumental in saving the German cruiser Frankfurt when the Germans scuttled their Fleet at Scapa Flow, by beaching the vessel and thus preventing her from sinking Subsequently he was flag-lieutenant in H.M.S. Baarham, and in 1923 and 1924 commanded the destroyers Wolsey and Whitehall. He served for some years in the tactical division of the Admiralty and w'as later in the cruiser Coventry and in H.M.S. Nelson. In 1931 he returned to the Coventry in command, and as flag captain and chief of staff to Rear-Ad-miral Sir Frank Rose.

Captain Horan was a member of the directing staff of the Imperial' Defence College from 1935 to 1937 and last year was appointed to command another vessel in which he had previously held a subordinate position. H.M.S. Barham. He is relinquishing this post and that of chief of staff to the Rear-Admiral, First Battle Squadron, Mediterranean, to go to New Zealand.