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Walter Cowan

Sir Walter Cowan, Bt
Rear-admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan, Kcb, Mvo, Dso - 1920 Art.IWMART3143.jpg
Rear-Admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan in 1920
Nickname(s) Tich Cowan
Born 11 June 1871
Crickhowell, Brecknockshire
Died 14 February 1956 (aged 84)
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy
British Commandos
Years of service 1884–1931
1941–1945
Rank Admiral
Commands held HMS Falcon
HMS Skirmisher
HMS Sapphire
HMS Gloucester
HMS Zealandia
HMS Princess Royal
1st Light Cruiser Squadron
Battlecruiser Squadron
Coast of Scotland
America and West Indies Station
Battles/wars Mahdist War
Second Boer War
World War I
Estonian War of Independence
Russian Civil War
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order & Bar
Member of the Royal Victorian Order

Admiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan, 1st Baronet, KCB, DSO & Bar, MVO (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.

Cowan was born in Crickhowell, 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.

In 1886, as midshipmen, Cowan and Beatty joined HMS Alexandra, flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. Cowan saw service in Benin and Nigeria in 1887. He 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 Redbreast. However, in 1893 he was invalided home with dysentery.


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