EVENTFUL CAREERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23012, 13 April 1938, Page 14

EVENTFUL CAREERS

SERVICE IN GREAT WAR HELIGOLAND ENGAGEMENT COMMODORE HORAN'S PART The appointment of two commodores to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, one apparently to be charged with the responsibility of divisional organisation and the other to be actively in command of sea-going ships, is an entirely new departure as far as New Zealand is concerned. Commodore Horan, who was a first lieutenant at the outbreak of the Great War, won the Distinguished Service Cross, formerly known as the Conspicuous Service Cross, in recognition of his services in the Heligoland naval engagement at the end of August, 1914. This was the first serious contact between opposing naval forces in the war and was the result of a sweep of British light naval forces into the Heligoland Bight. Commodore R. Y. Tvrwhitt was in command of the destroyer flotillas and in his despatch he mentions as having ccme under his special observation: "Lieutenant Henry E. Horan* first lieutenant, who took command of H.M.S. Liberty after the death of Lieutenant-Commander Nigel K. W. Barttelot, and brought his ship out of action in an extremely ;able and gallant manner under most trying conditions." Captain Irvine G. Glennie, who has been appointed commodore in command of the sea-going ships of the division, arrived in New Zealand in 1936 in command of the present flagship, H.M.S. Achilles. He has had an eventful naval career oi: over 30 years. After early service in big ships, he commanded small craft during the war and subsequently, assisted in the training of naval cadets at Dartmouth. He is also a staff course graduate. The Achilles was Captain Glennie's first command, and when Rear-Admiral the Hon. E. R. Drumniond transferred his commodore's broad pendant from H.M.S. Dunedin to the new cruiser Captain Glennie remained in the ship which he had brought out from Engr land.