Edward Owen Cochrane

Rear-Admiral SIR Edward Owen Cochrane, K.B.E., Royal Navy (17 August, 1881 – 27 January, 1972) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

His great-grandfather's eldest brother was Admiral Lord Cochrane.

Life & Career

Cochrane was born in Windlesham, Surrey, the son of Captain (later Vice-Admiral) Basil E. Cochrane.

As a Midshipman he served aboard H.M.S. Majestic of the Channel Squadron from 1897 to 1898, and then in Illustrious in the Mediterranean Fleet from 1899 to 1901, possibly with a short stint in T.B. 46 in 1900.

He served in the destroyer Racehorse of the Chatham Flotilla in 1903 and in the battleship Royal Oak of the Home Fleet until February 1904. He then qualified as gunnery Lieutenant at H.M.S. Excellent.

He entered the Navy and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 October, 1902.

He married Mary Lucy George on 18 January, 1908. They would have two children: James Owen Cochrane and Suzanne Gloria Cochrane. James would die in action in Tunisia in 1942, but his daughter Jane would continue to bear the Owen Cochrane name.

Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 October, 1910.

Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915.

After a stint in command of Lord Nelson, Cochrane was appointed to Lion as gunnery officer and as Squadron Gunnery Officer. In March, 1920, he was moved to Hood in the same role. Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1920 and superseded in Hood on 16 January.

He was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Repulse in August, 1931.

Cochrane was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 3 January, 1933 and placed on the Retired List the following day.

World War II

Cochrane was called back into the navy on 24th August 1939 and worked as a Convoy Commodore, R.N.R. throughout the war. His family believes that he took the first convoy out to America and brought the last one back. He reverted to the Retired List on 14 September, 1945.

In 1956 while driving in Switzerland, Cochrane hit and injured a man disembarking from a tram on the road between Vevey and Lausanne. The man was "permanently injured" and in October, 1957 Cochrane was tried in absentia by a Swiss court and sentenced to two months in jail. The following year the case was retried at Cochrane's request, and the sentence was quashed after he paid a five-hundred franc fine.

He died in Westminster, London.

Bibliography

• "Sir Edward Cochrane" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 29 January, 1972. Issue 58388, col G, pg. 14.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/42.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/125.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/91.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/46.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Leonard L. P. Willan	Captain of H.M.S. Lord Nelson Nov, 1918 – 9 May, 1919	Succeeded by Vessel Decommissioned
Preceded by ?	Squadron Gunnery Officer, Battle Cruiser Squadron 9 May, 1919	Succeeded by Lionel V. Wells
Preceded by Vivian R. Brandon	Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence Division 15 Jul, 1921 – 1 Apr, 1922	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Geoffrey Hopwood	Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence 1 Apr, 1922 – 14 Sep, 1923	Succeeded by George K. Chetwode
Preceded by Arthur H. Walker	Captain of H.M.S. Cairo 15 Sep, 1924	Succeeded by James A. G. Troup
Preceded by Bernard W. F. Fairbairn	Captain of Devonport Gunnery School 16 Apr, 1927 – 8 Apr, 1929	Succeeded by Cyril G. Sedgwick
Preceded by Bernard W. F. Fairbairn	Director of Training and Staff Duties 8 Apr, 1929	Succeeded by Geoffrey S. Arbuthnot
Preceded by Gerald C. Dickens	Captain of H.M.S. Repulse 17 May, 1931 – c. mid 1932	Succeeded by Philip L. Neville
Preceded by Eric P. Vivian	Captain of H.M.S. Cairo 9 Jun, 1932 – 19 Aug, 1932	Succeeded by George H. D'O. Lyon