John Sinclair Morrell
Commander (retired) John Sinclair Morrell, R.N. (11 November, 1883 – 15 August, 1956) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Born in Winterbrook, Cholmoy the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Morrell. Morrell underwent examinations for several days commencing on 20 July, 1897 and gained entrance to the Britannia term of August, 1897, his 1151 marks placing him fifty-first in merit among the sixty-three candidates accepted as naval cadets.[1]
Captain Sturdee considered Morrell unreliable as officer of the watch, and Captain Jellicoe of the armoured cruiser Drake found him "lacking in energy & ability" in 1904. Better evaluations would be offered him, but indifferent of negative ones continued to be interspersed.
Morrell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1905.
Morrell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1913.
During the early part of the Great War, Morrell served as first and gunnery officer in the Philomel, latterly under the auspices of the New Zealand government. On 19 April 1917, she paid off and he returned home. On 18 September 1917 he was appointed to Berwick as acting Commander and gunnery officer.
In September 1918 he received his first command, that of the torpedo gunboat Hussar. When she paid off on 12 March 1919, he was placed in command of the hired yacht Triad in the acting rank of Commander.
He was blamed by a Court of Enquiry for grounding Triad on 19 June, 1919.
Morrell was appointed in command of the gunboat Cricket on 22 December, 1919.[2]
In 1923, he commanded the W/T station at Singapore, ending his work in September. In 1924, he was stationed at Bermuda, as Assistant to the Captain in Command, and acting as Executive Officer. He was superseded in March 1926.
Morrell was promoted to the rank of Commander on 12 December, 1926.
World War II
Mobilized in September 1938.
Service in Bermuda, reverting to Retired List on 12 December 1944 following an operation to remove a stomach growth in February/March 1943.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by John Hennessy |
Captain of H.M.S. Hussar 4 Sep, 1918 – 12 Mar, 1919 |
Succeeded by Benjamin W. Barrow |
| Preceded by Adam Ferguson |
Captain of H.M.S. Triad 12 Mar, 1919 – 16 Aug, 1919 |
Succeeded by Christopher H. Ringrose |
| Preceded by Ion W. G. White |
Captain of H.M.S. Cricket 22 Dec, 1919[3][4] |
Succeeded by Reginald W. Lawrence |
Footnotes
