19 Facts About Walter Cowan

Walter Cowan fell sick and was invalided home after less than a year, but later rejoined Alexandra, returning with her to Britain in 1889.

Walter Cowan saw action in the Mahdist War, taking part in the Battle of Atbara and the Battle of Omdurman.

Walter Cowan then commanded the entire Nile gunboat flotilla during the Fashoda Incident.

Walter Cowan received the Distinguished Service Order for these actions.

Walter Cowan then participated in the Second Boer War, acting as aide-de-camp to Lord Kitchener and then to Lord Roberts.

Walter Cowan commanded several more destroyers, acquiring a widespread reputation as a destroyer captain, and then succeeded Keyes in command of the flotilla.

In 1912, Walter Cowan became Assistant to John de Robeck, who was then Admiral of Patrols.

Walter Cowan commanded her at the Battle of Jutland, where she was badly damaged.

Walter Cowan was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1916.

In June 1917 Walter Cowan was made commodore of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, which he led at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight on 17 November 1917.

Walter Cowan's mission was to keep the sea lanes open to the new republics of Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which were under threat of being overrun by Soviet Russia.

Walter Cowan was awarded the Cross of Liberty of Estonia.

Walter Cowan was unemployed from 1923 to 1925, although he was promoted vice admiral in 1923.

Walter Cowan voluntarily took the lower rank of commander and went to Scotland in 1941 to train the newly formed corps in small boat handling.

Walter Cowan managed to get himself sent to the North African theatre of operations with the Commandos.

Walter Cowan saw action subsequently at the Battle of Bir Hakeim, where, having attached himself to the Indian 18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry, he was captured on 27 May 1942, having fought an Italian tank crew single-handedly armed only with a revolver.

Walter Cowan was repatriated in 1943 under an agreement with Italy whereby some 800 Italian seamen interned in neutral Saudi Arabia from the Red Sea Flotilla were exchanged for a similar number of British prisoners of war.

Accordingly, Walter Cowan rejoined the commandos and saw action again in Italy during 1944.

Walter Cowan was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order for "gallantry, determination and undaunted devotion to duty as Liaison Officer with Commandos in the attack and capture of Mount Ornito, Italy and during attacks on the islands of Solta, Mljet and Brac in the Adriatic, all of which operations were carried out under very heavy fire from the enemy".