I can add nothing about he family, but Carnochan was awarded the DSM for his part in the raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of 22-23rd April 1918, where he was part of 'C' company of the seaman storming party on Royal Daffodil.
The raid succeeded in blocking the Bruges canal and trapping over 30 German U-boats and dozens of destroyers which had been responsible for inflicting massive losses on British merchant ships. The Admiralty plan was to sail three old coal-burning cruisers, filled with concrete, across the Channel and scuttle them across the entrance of the canal. But for the plan to work the Allies had to create a diversionary attack to draw the fire of enemy guns set up to defend Zeebrugge harbour. This meant landing Naval raiding parties on a mole where the guns were positioned and using an old British submarine, packed with explosives, to blow up a nearby viaduct to stop the Germans reinforcing their troops on the mile-long mole during the attack.
The warship HMS "Vindictive" and two River Mersey passenger ferries, the "Royal Iris" and the "Royal Daffodil" were used to carry in the landing parties and all three vessels were given extra protection to their superstructure to help shield them from the German guns which were expected to be firing at them from almost point blank range.
More than 70 vessels, including submarines, rescue launches and smoke-laying motor boats, took part in Operation ZO along with more than 1,700 men. At first a huge smokescreen laid by the fast motor boats hid the British fleet from the guns on the mole, but at a vital moment the wind changed and the smoke cleared. The "Vindictive", which was less than 100 yards away from the pier, came under immediate heavy fire and was hit. 240 seamen and marines were killed in the attack.
Martin
