Convoy Commodore

Convoy Commodore was the title of a civilian put in charge of the good order of the merchant ships in the British convoys used during World War II. Usually the convoy commodore was a retired naval officer or a senior merchant captain drawn from the Royal Naval Reserve. He was aboard one of the merchant ships.

The convoy commodore was distinguished from the commander of the convoy's escort, always a naval officer.

Noted commodores include:

• Admiral Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax.
• Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer.
• Admiral Lachlan Donald Ian Mackinnon. Survived his ship sinking and was rescued after a prolonged period in the cold waters of the North Atlantic; his health was damaged permanently.
• Vice Admiral Norman Atherton Wodehouse who went down with his ship when it was torpedoed en route to South Africa.
• Admiral Sir Studholme Brownrigg who went down with his ship, SS Ville de Tamatave, on 24 January 1943 in a violent storm.
• Admiral Eric Gascoigne Robinson, V.C. who served for three years. Retired exhausted.
• Captain Harry Charles Birnie, of the Cunard Line. Died commanding Convoy SC 121.

Bibliography

• Burn, Alan (1996). The Fighting Commodores, Convoy Commanders in the Second World War. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 978-0850525045.