Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Captain C. H. B. Gowan, Royal Navy, a Jutland veteran who went on to experiment with the launching of aircraft at sea

1914-15 Star (Lt. Commr., R.N.); British War and Victory Medals (Commr., R.N.); Russian Order of St. Anne, 3rd class breast badge, with swords, gilt metal and enamel good very fine (4) £350-450

Cecil Hunter Boyd Gowan, who entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in September 1900, quickly came to the attention of his seniors as an innovative young officer. At the end of the same year, as a Midshipman, he drew up plans for the raising of the dredger Canton River by H.M.S. Terrible at Hong Kong, an exercise that was successfully accomplished in January 1901. Advanced to Sub. Lieutenant in November 1903, Gowan went on to serve in the Emerald as a Gunnery Officer, and in July 1908 was appointed Flag Lieutenant of the same ship. And by the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he had attained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander.

Present at the Battle of Jutland aboard the light cruiser Yarmouth, he was awarded the Russian Order of St. Anne (London Gazette 5 June 1917), but it was for his ground-breaking advances in naval combat flying that he gained greater fame, but seemingly no reward. In his book, Wings of Neptune, Captain D. McIntyre takes up the story:

‘While it was still under consideration [the proposal to convert a cruiser in each squadron with a flying-off platform for aircraft], however, there came a development which resolved the doubts of the gun conscious objectors. Lieutenant-Commander C. H. B. Gowan, an enthusiast in his conception of the importance of the air weapon, and who had been associated with the experiments in the Yarmouth, suggested a platform on the roof of a gun turret in capital ships running out along the 15-inch guns themselves. This would preserve the full gun armament and permitted the turrets to be turned to give the best wind effect on the launching. This was tried out by Flight Commander Rutland in a Pup on 17 October from H.M.S. Repulse.’

And tried with success. No doubt spurred on by this, and similar experiments, Gowan obtained his own Royal Aero Club pilot’s licence in May 1918, and before the end of the year he was serving as Flag Commander aboard the Royal Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the Furious. He retired as a Captain in November 1929.