John Alfred Moreton

Captain John Alfred Moreton, C.M.G., D.S.O. (21 May, 1876 – 19 March, 1920) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Bathbury, Stafford, Moreton entered the service via the training ship Worcester, having entered Britannia on 10 December, 1891 and passed out on 14 January, 1892.

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant dated 31 December, 1898.

Moreton became one of Britain's first submariners, being placed in command of Holland boat No. 3 from 4 August 1902 to 20 July, 1903. Such was the state of confidence in the early boats that he earned accolades for simply taking this submarine from Barrow to Devonport. His superiour in these early excursions was Captain Reginald Bacon, who offered high praise for Moreton, writing that he was "[b]y far the best Captain of a Submarine Boat we have had, approaching very closely to the ideal. Besides which he is the best officer of Lieutenant's rank I have ever known." This high estimation prompted Bacon to bring Moreton with him as first Lieutenant when Bacon assumed command of H.M.S. Dreadnought.

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1909, and was reappointed to Mercury on that date. In 1910 he was appointed for service with the Anti-Submarine Committee, where Captain Hall noted that he did "good service on committee for dealing with hostile S/Ms."

Moreton was appointed Commander (Executive Officer) of the pre-dreadnought Duncan on 9 August, 1910. On 20 December, 1912, he was appointed Commander of the battlecruiser Indomitable.

Great War

Moreton served in Indomitable through the first year of the war. He was appointed in command of the monitor General Wolfe on 31 December, 1915, on which date he was promoted to the rank of Captain. For operations on the Belgian coast he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) on 26 April. On 16 June he was appointed in command of the monitor Erebus.

Post-War

On 8 March, 1920, Moreton was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, "For valuable services in command of H.M.S. Erebus in the Baltic." He died on 19 March of pneumonia following influenza at 146 Bishop's Mansions, London.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• "Captain J. A. Moreton" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 23 March, 1920. Issue 42366, col C, p. 17.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/125.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/90.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/44.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Loftus C. O. Mansergh	Captain of H.M.S. A 1 c. late 1904	Succeeded by Philip E. U. Townshend
Preceded by Neston W. Diggle	Captain of H.M.S. General Wolfe 31 Dec, 1915 – 16 Jun, 1918	Succeeded by Sydney B. Boyd-Richardson
Preceded by Charles S. Wills	Captain of H.M.S. Erebus 16 Jun, 1918 – 19 Mar, 1920	Succeeded by Claude A. Rombulow-Pearse