John Anthony Vere Morse DSO, RN
| Born | 16 Oct 1892 | ||
| Died | 7 May 1960 | (67) |
| Ranks
Retired: 14 Jan 1947 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for John Anthony Vere Morse, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Neptune (20) | Capt. | Light cruiser | 20 Jul 1937 | 25 May 1940 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Light cruiser HMS Neptune (20)
1 Sep 1939
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral G.H. D'Oyly Lyon, CB, RN) arrived at Freetown from Simonstown.
The Vice-Admiral then struck his flag and transferred it to shore. (1)
3 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for a patrol off the Cape Verde Islands. (2)
5 Sep 1939
At 1710A/5, HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) sighted the German merchant vessel Inn (2867 GRT, built 1929). The German vessel had been sighted earlier by Neptune's aircraft and course had then been set to intercept.
The vessel was sunk around 1835A/5 with gunfire in approximate position 24°50N, 22°05'W after the crew had been picked up. (3)
8 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Dakar from patrol. (2)
10 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Dakar for a patrol north and east of the Cape Verde Island. (2)
19 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown from patrol. (3)
20 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Convoy SLF 1.
This convoy departed Freetown on 20 September 1939 and arrived at Liverpool on 28 September 1939.
The convoy was made up of the merchant vessels; Clan Forbes (British, 7529 GRT, built 1938), Sultan Star (British, 12306 GRT, built 1930) and Windsor Castle (British, 19141 GRT, built 1922).
On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN). The cruiser detached from the convoy on 23 September. The convoy then proceeded unescorted arriving at Liverpool on 28 September. (2)
25 Sep 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown after escort duty. (3)
26 Sep 1939
Around 0300A/26, HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN), departed Freetown to proceed to position 09°09'S, 16°03'W where at least four German merchant vessels were thought to make rendezvous with a submarine on 28 September. Information on this had been received from the British Naval Attache in Argentina.
Around 1730A/25, the destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN) and HMS Hunter (Lt.Cdr. L. de Villiers, RN) had already departed Freetown to proceed to the same position.
The heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland (Capt. W.H.G. Fallowfield, RN) from the South America Division which was already on patrol was also ordered to close this position.
Around 1515A/27, HMS Neptune joined HMS Hyperion and HMS Hunter.
Around 0730A/28, HMS Cumberland was sighted. The four ships then began a systematic search of the area.
The area was searched until dusk on 29 September but nothing was sighted of the enemy and the ships set course to proceed to Freetown where the cruisers arrived around 0700A/2. The destroyers were short of fuel and could only proceed at a more economical speed and they arrived at Freetown around three hours later. (2)
7 Oct 1939
Convoy SL 4.
This convoy departed Freetown on 7 October 1939 and arrived in U.K. waters on 26 October 1939 though some of the merchant vessels had been detached in the Bay of Biscay to proceed to French ports.
The convoy was made up of the following merchant vessels; Burdwan (British, 6069 GRT, built 1928), Clan Farquhar (British, 7958 GRT, built 1918), Clan MacNeil (British, 6111 GRT, built 1922), Godfrey B. Holt (British, 3585 GRT, built 1929), Groix (British, 9975 GRT, built 1922), Hardwicke Grange (British, 9005 GRT, built 1921), Lafian (British, 4876 GRT, built 1937), Lagosian (British, 5412 GRT, built 1930), Marcella (British, 4592 GRT, built 1928), Myrmidon (British, 6278 GRT, built 1930), Myrtlebank (British, 5150 GRT, built 1925), Natia (British, 8715 GRT, built 1920), Oakdene (British, 4255 GRT, built 1935), Rodney Star (British, 11803 GRT, built 1927), Sangara (British, 4174 GRT, built 1939), Settler (British, 6202 GRT, built 1939), Shillong (British, 5529 GRT, built 1939), Takoradian (British, 5452 GRT, built 1937) and Welsh Trader (British, 4974 GRT, built 1938).
On departure from Freetown the convoy was escorted by the light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN). She was detached from the convoy around 1920A/10 in approximate position 15°20'N, 19°54'E.
The destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN) and HMS Hunter (Lt.Cdr. L. de Villiers, RN) were with the convoy briefly on 9 October 1939 between 0730A/9 and 1300A/9.
Around 0900A/23 the destroyers HMS Mackay (Cdr. G.H. Stokes, RN) and HMS Vimy (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Clark, RN) joined the convoy. The destroyers HMS Venetia (Cdr. G.R. Pilcher, RN) and HMS Vesper (Lt.Cdr. W.F.E. Hussey, DSC, RN) had joined the convoy about an hour earlier in approximate position 47°45'N, 13°30'W.
Around 0830A/24 the convoy split into an east coast section which proceeded towards the Irish Sea escorted by HMS Mackay and HMS Vimy. The west coast section proceeded towards the Channel escorted by HMS Venetia and HMS Vesper.
Around 0730A/25, HMS Venetia and HMS Vesper were relieved by the destroyer HMS Wivern (Lt.Cdr. W. Evershed, RN). (4)
12 Oct 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown after convoy escort duty. (5)
6 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) returned to Freetown from patrol. (6)
11 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown to proceed to a rendezvous position west of the Canary Islands. (7)
15 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0630A/15, light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) made rendezvous west of the Canary Islands in approximate position 28°00'N, 20°50'W with the light cruiser HMS Capetown (Capt. T.H. Back, RN) which is escorting the submarine depot ship HMS Maidstone (A/Capt. E.H. Longsdon, RN) which is on passage from Gibraltar to Freetown. (8)
17 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and HMS Maidstone (A/Capt. E.H. Longsdon, RN) arrived at Dakar.
HMS Neptune then immediately left again for Freetown. (6)
18 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown. (6)
22 Nov 1939 (position -10.39, -5.44)
The German passenger ship Adolph Woermann (8577 GRT, built 1922) is intercepted in the South Atlantic about 530 nautical miles east-south-east of Ascension in position 10°39S, 05°44W by the British light cruiser HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN). However before the German ship can be captured she is scuttled by her own crew.
The German ship was found to be beyond salvage and after taking crew and passengers prisoners she was sunk with gunfire.
HMS Neptune then set course for Freetown.
25 Nov 1939
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown from patrol. She then landed the German prisoners and fuelled.
She departed for patrol later the same day. [See for 20 November 1939, for more info where she was to patrol.] (6)
29 Nov 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
During the night of 29/30 November 1939, HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN), fuelled from the RFA tanker Cherryleaf (5896 GRT, built 1917). (6)
3 Dec 1939
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) returned to Freetown from patrol. She departed again later the same day to proceed to Dakar to change both her Seafox aircraft which had become unservicable for other ones and also to renew some boiler brickwork. (9)
4 Dec 1939
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Dakar. (10)
7 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Dakar for patrol in the South Atlantic. (9)
17 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Rio de Janeiro from patrol. (9)
18 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Rio de Janeiro for patrol to search for the German supply vessel Altmark and then to proceed to Freetown. (9)
26 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown from patrol. (10)
3 Jan 1940
HMS Ark Royal (Capt. A.J. Power, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN), HMS Hardy (Capt. B.A. Warburton-Lee, RN) and HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, RN) departed Freetown for Dakar. (11)
5 Jan 1940
HMS Ark Royal (Capt. A.J. Power, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN), HMS Hardy (Capt. B.A. Warburton-Lee, RN) and HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, RN) arrived at Dakar from Freetown. (11)
19 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) intercepted and stopped the Portugese passenger/cargo vessel Quanza (6657 GRT, built 1929). Two German passengers were removed and the Portugese ship was then allowed to continue her voyage. (12)
20 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown from patrol. (13)
25 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown to make rendezvous with the repair ship HMS Resource (Capt.(Retd.) D.B. O’Connell, RN) which was coming from Gibraltar and then escort the repair ship to Freetown. (12)
27 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0800A/27, HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) made rendezvous with the repair ship HMS Resource (Capt.(Retd.) D.B. O’Connell, RN) and her escort, the French destroyer La Railleuse (Lt.Cdr. J.E.C. Hourcade). The French destroyer then proceeded to Dakar where she arrived later the same day. (12)
29 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and HMS Resource (Capt.(Retd.) D.B. O’Connell, RN) arrived at Freetown. (14)
4 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for Bathurst where she was to unload 100 tons of rice. (15)
6 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Bathurst where she unloaded the rice and then proceeded to Dakar later the same day. (16)
8 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) is docked at Dakar. (16)
14 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) is undocked. (16)
16 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Dakar for Freetown. (16)
18 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown from Dakar. (16)
22 Feb 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown to patrol in the Mid-Atlantic. (15)
2 Mar 1940
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) returned to Freetown from patrol. (17)
4 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Freetown. (18)
5 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for Simonstown. She was to pass through position 16°00'S, 06°00'W while en-route. (17)
13 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Simonstown. (18)
8 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Simonstown for Freetown. She was escorting the whale factory ships Southern Princess (British, 12156 GRT, built 1915) and Terje Viken (British, 20638 GRT, built 1936) as well as ten whale catchers which were with the factory ships. (19)
18 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Freetown. She had parted company with the whale factory ships and the whale catchers around 0800A/16 in position 07°30'S, 03°30'W. She had been ordered to proceed to Freetown as she was to proceed to the Mediterranean.
The heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire. (Capt. J.H. Edelsten, RN), which had departed Capetown on 13 April joined the whale factory ships and their catchers the following day to escort them to Freetown. (20)
24 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN) departed Gibraltar for Malta. (21)
26 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN) arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. (21)
30 Apr 1940
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) conducted gunnery exercises at Malta.
Later in the day, after she had returned to Malta she embarked A/Adm. A.B. Cunningham, KCB, DSO and 2 Bar, RN, C-in-C Mediterranean Fleet) and departed for Bizerta in the evening. (22)
1 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Bizerta where A/Adm. Cunningham departed the ship for a conference with the French.
He returned after a few hours and HMS Neptune departed for Malta later in the day. (23)
2 May 1940
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) returned to Malta. (23)
4 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) departed Malta for Alexandria. (23)
5 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) arrived at Alexandria where A/Adm. A.B. Cunningham, KCB, DSO and 2 Bar, RN, C-in-C Mediterranean Fleet departed the ship. (23)
14 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
The heavy cruisers Duquesne (Capt. G.E. Besineau), Tourville (Capt. A.J.A. Marloy), light cruisers HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Delhi (Capt. A.S. Russell, RN), HMS Dragon (Capt. R.G. Bowes-Lyon, MVO, RN), destroyers HMAS Stuart (Cdr. H.M.L. Waller, RAN), HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN, HMAS Vendetta (Lt. R. Rhoades RAN), HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN), HMS Tigre (Capt. M. De La Forest Divonne), Lynx (Cdr. A.M. De Gouyon Matignon de Pontourade) and Forbin (Lt.Cdr. R.C.M. Chartellier) conducted exercises off Alexandria. (24)
21 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Neptune (Capt. J.A.V. Morse, DSO, RN) and HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.C. Tovey, CB, DSO, RN) conducted exercises off Alexandria. (25)
Sources
- ADM 53/109908 + ADM 53/109909
- ADM 53/109909 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/109909
- ADM 53/109642 + ADM 53/109910 + ADM 53/110944 + ADM 53/110977 + ADM 53/110992 + ADM 53/111234
- ADM 53/109910
- ADM 53/109911
- ADM 53/109911 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/107948 + ADM 53/109911 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/109912 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/109912
- ADM 53/111429 + ADM 53/112868 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112868
- ADM 53/112868 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112868 + ADM 53/113104
- ADM 53/112869 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112869
- ADM 53/112870 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112870
- ADM 53/112871 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112871 + ADM 53/113226 + ADM 199/380
- ADM 53/112871 + ADM 53/112919
- ADM 53/112871 + ADM 53/112872
- ADM 53/112872
- ADM 53/112920
- ADM 53/112872 + ADM 53/112920
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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