Norman Morley

Commander Norman Eyre Morley DSC & Three Bars Hebe, in which he became a First Lieutenant on 18 Jan-
(6 January 1899 21 September 1989) was a British uary 1940, and also took part in the Dunkirk evacuation
Naval Reserve ocer who served in both World Wars, in May 1940.[3] He was promoted to acting lieutenant-
becoming the most decorated reserve ocer in the Royal commander in February 1941[3] and on 18 April 1941
Navy, and the only person to have been awarded the was appointed to command of the minesweeper HMS
Distinguished Service Cross four times.[1] Eastbourne, based at the Nore.[3] On 31 March 1942
he received a mention in despatches for his courage,
skill and endurance while minesweeping in dangerous
waters.[9]
1 Early life
On 12 October 1942 he took command of HMS Mu-
tine,[3] taking part in operations in the Mediterranean,
Morley was born in Fulham in 1899,[2] and educated
and on 23 May 1944 was awarded a bar to the Distin-
at Battersea Grammar School,[3] before joining the
guished Service Cross for his outstanding courage, res-
Harrison-Rennie Line as an apprentice.[3]
olution, leadership, skill [and] devotion to duty in opera-
tions which led to successful landings on the Italian main-
land and at Salerno.[10]
2 World War I and the Baltic On 22 July 1944 he was appointed to command of
HMS Rhyl and also served as 2nd Senior Ocer, 13th
Morley joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 14 November Minesweeping Flotilla,[3] transferring to command of
1916 as a midshipman, and served aboard the battleship HMS Acute and 2nd Senior Ocer, 12th Minesweeping
HMS Iron Duke in the Home Fleet. On 18 February 1919 Flotilla on 7 December 1944.[3] On 31 January 1945 he
he was promoted to the acting rank of sub-lieutenant,[4] was promoted to commander.[3]
and served aboard HM Coastal Motor Boat No. 88 in the
On 27 March 1945 he was awarded a second bar to
Baltic.[3] Morley was awarded the Distinguished Service
the Distinguished Service Cross for distinguished ser-
Cross on 11 November 1919 for his part on the attack
vice and gallantry during the invasion of the South of
on Soviet Navy ships in Kronstadt harbour on 18 Au-
France,[11] and his third bar on 12 June 1945 for
gust 1919, during which No. 88 torpedoed the battleships
gallantry, outstanding skill and devotion to duty in
Andrei Pervozvanny and Petropavlovsk.[5]
minesweeping operations over dense and shallow mine-
elds in the opening up of Greek ports in the Gulf of
Corinth".[12]
3 Between the wars
From 1920 Morley studied architecture at London Uni- 5 Post-war life
versity, and then worked for the brewing company
Courage, for which he eventually became Chief Archi-
tect and Property Technical Director.[3] He also served Morley left the Navy after the end of the war, and re-
in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve being promoted turned to civilian employment. He retired in 1964 and
to sub-lieutenant on 11 October 1921,[6] and lieutenant bought a farm in Selborne, Hampshire. He was a founder
on 11 April 1924,[7] until being removed from list on 31 and commodore of the Frensham Pond Sailing Club, con-
March 1933.[3] tinuing to sail into his 80s.[3] Morley died in 1989 aged
90. His medals are held by the Royal Navy Museum at
Portsmouth.[1]

4 World War II
Morley returned to the RNVR soon after the outbreak 6 Other awards
of the Second World War, being commissioned as a
lieutenant on 8 November 1939.[8] He served aboard As well as his four DSCs Morley also received the follow-
minesweepers for the entire war, beginning with HMS ing campaign medals:[1]

1
2 7 REFERENCES

7 References
[1] Lot 350: An Important Collection of Royal Navy items
relating to Commander Norman Morley DSC. Bonhams.
7 August 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[2] ADM 240/46/14: Norman Eyre Morley. The National

Archives, Kew. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[3] Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen. Royal Naval

Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Ocers (Micklethwaite to
Mylechreest)". WWII Unit Histories & Ocers. Retrieved
16 August 2016.

[4] ADM 240/46/14: Norman Eyre Morley. The National

Archives, Kew. Retrieved 16 August 2016.

[5] The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31638. p. 13745.

11 November 1919.

[6] The London Gazette: no. 32529. p. 9468. 25 November

1921.

[7] The London Gazette: no. 32955. p. 5320. 11 July 1924.

[8] The London Gazette: no. 34822. pp. 19101912. 2 April

1940.

[9] The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35506. p. 1447.

27 March 1942.

[10] The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36526. pp. 2353

2354. 19 May 1944.

[11] The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37002. p. 1660.

23 March 1945.

[12] The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37127. p. 3088.

8 June 1945.
 3

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text
Norman Morley Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Morley?oldid=755610612 Contributors: Dl2000, Dawkeye, Andy Ding-
ley and WereSpielChequers

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