Angus Cunninghame Graham
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Angus Edward Malise Bontine Cunninghame Graham of Gartmore and Ardoch KBE
CB
(16 February 1893 – 14 February 1981) was a Royal Navy
officer who became Flag Officer, Scotland
.
, Cunninghame Graham joined the Royal Navy
in 1905 when he entered RNC Osborne
,. His tutors thought well of him and in 1907 he progressed to RNC Dartmouth where he continued to get good grades in everything except engineering. He completed his cadet training on HMS Cumberland
and passed out as a midshipman
in 1910. One of his first postings was to HMS Cochrane
, which was one of the ships that escorted George V
and Queen Mary
to the Delhi Durbar
of 1911. He was promoted to Sub-lieutenant
in 1912 and at the beginning of 1914 he was appointed to HM Yacht Victoria and Albert
on which his father had also served.
At the outbreak of World War I
, all Royal Yachtsmen were transferred to one of two ships in the Grand Fleet, HMS Agincourt
, on which he served and saw action at the Battle of Jutland
in command of number 4 gun turret, and HMS Erin
. He specialised in signals was promoted to Flag Lieutenant in 1917.
After the war, he held a number of brief appointments, including a period as tutor at HM Signal School, before being appointed, despite his lowly rank, to HMS Iron Duke
in the Spring of 1922 as Fleet Signal Officer of the Mediterranean Fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir Osmond Brock
C-in-C. He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in 1924 just prior to his marriage to Patricia Hanbury, the sister-in-law of Herbert Fitzherbert
, the Executive Officer of the Iron Duke and was made a Commander
in 1928.
Cunninghame Graham had the unusual experience of attending all three staff colleges: Naval at Greenwich 1929-30; Army at Camberwell 1930-31; and Air Force at Andover 1934. Between 1931 and 1934, he served as Executive Officer on the cruiser
HMS Cardiff on the South Africa station . He was appointed Staff Officer (Operations and Intelligence) at Nore Command in 1935. Having resigned himself, as had happened to his father, to remain a Commander for the rest of his naval service, he was promoted to Captain
, at the last possible juncture under the batch system then in force, on 31 December 1935.
In January, 1936, George V
died and Cunninghame Graham, awaiting his first command, acted as Aide-de-camp
to Prince Paul of Greece
during his visit to London for the state funeral. He was appointed in the autumn of 1936 to HMS Tarantula
as Senior Naval Officer on the West River in China
. This was the time of the Second Sino-Japanese War
. On his return from China, he was offered the post of Captain of the "stone frigate" HMS President
, which he declined, going on Half-pay
at his own request from 14 April 1938 until 2 March 1939, when he was appointed Captain of HM Signal School.
During World War II
he held four commands. When war was declared he was serving as Captain of HM Signal School, which also entailed being Deputy to the Commodore of Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth
, and, thus, oversaw the research into the development of naval RDF
.
His next appointment, in 1941, was as Captain of the cruiser
HMS Kent
on the Russian convoys
. HMS Kent was selected to carry a diplomatic party which included: H.E. Ivan M Maisky, the Soviet Ambassador
; Rt Hon Anthony Eden , Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
; and Lieutenant General
Sir Archibald Nye
, VCIGS, to Murmansk
from where they would travel by train to Moscow
for talks with Stalin
. As the diplomatic party were without any ciphering staff, it fell to Cunninghame Graham to inform the Foreign Secretary that the UK had declared war on Japan. In the Autumn of 1942, he became Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Louis ‘’Turtle’’ Hamilton who had chosen to hoist his flag in HMS ‘’Kent’’.
Subsequently, in August, 1943, he was promoted to Commodore (2nd Class) in charge of the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham
, in command of 20,000 officers, men and women with a daily turnover of 1,000. Also during this time, he was an Aide-de-Camp
to the King
(his father had been a Groom-in-Waiting to Edward VII
and an Equerry to George V
) and was awarded a CBE
in the 1944 New Year's Honours List. Finally in January, 1945, there came a second promotion to Rear-Admiral in command of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, and 2nd in Command of the Home Fleet, hoisting his flag first in HMS ’’Diadem’’
and then in HMS ’’Birmingham
.
After the War he continued to command the 10th Cruiser Squadron (later 2nd Cruiser Squadron with his flag in HMS Superb
), during which time, he took part in the victory celebrations in the Netherlands and had the honour of having Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhardt
as dinner guests; he was also dispatched to Sweden on an official goodwill visit, being granted a private audience with King Gustav V
.
In 1947, he became Admiral Superintendent at HM Dockyard, Rosyth
., receiving a CB
, and was promoted to Vice Admiral
a year later. He was appointed Flag Officer, Scotland
in 1950. He was advanced to KBE in the 1951 New Year Honours and retired in October of the same year. He received his final promotion to Admiral on 15 March 1952.
In retirement he became Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire
(1955–1968) and Keeper of Dumbarton Castle
(1955–1981), the first Naval Officer to hold the post. In 1985, his widow donated his uniform and medals to the castle where they are on public display. He also was a member of the Royal Company of Archers
achieving a final rank of Captain.
He donated his papers (1913–1980) to Churchill College, Cambridge
and his naval archive (covering the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries)to the University of California, Irvine
.
RN
and Mildred Emily Barbara, daughter of Charles Walter Bagot, Rector
of Castle Rising
, Norfolk
. He was baptised on 16 March 1893 in the Chapel Royal, having Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
(later Edward VII
) as his godfather and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife
(later the Princess Royal
), as his godmother. This led to his attending the coronation
of Edward VII
as page
to the Duke of Fife
, for which he was awarded the 1902 Coronation Medal
.
In October, 1924, he married Mary Patricia, the youngest daughter of the banker, Col Lionel Hanbury of Hitcham House CMG, VD High Sheriff of the County of London (1920–21); they had one son, Robert Elphinstone, who followed his father into the Royal Navy
; and one daughter, Jean, who first married Charles Jauncey of Tullichettle
and secondly Harry Polwarth
. He had seven grandchildren. He was the only nephew of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, the Scottish author and politician, to whom he was heir and literary executor.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(16 February 1893 – 14 February 1981) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who became Flag Officer, Scotland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
.
Naval career
Educated at Ascham St. Vincent's SchoolAscham St. Vincent's School
Ascham St Vincent's School was an English preparatory school for boys at Eastbourne, East Sussex. Like other preparatory schools, its purpose was to train pupils to do well enough in the examinations to gain admission to leading "public schools" .-History:The school was founded by the Rev...
, Cunninghame Graham joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1905 when he entered RNC Osborne
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
,. His tutors thought well of him and in 1907 he progressed to RNC Dartmouth where he continued to get good grades in everything except engineering. He completed his cadet training on HMS Cumberland
HMS Cumberland (1902)
HMS Cumberland was a Monmouth-class armoured cruiser of the British Royal Navy. She was built by London & Glasgow Co. and launched on 16 December 1902. She served in the First World War with most of her sisters, seeing service in the Cameroons...
and passed out as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1910. One of his first postings was to HMS Cochrane
HMS Cochrane (1905)
HMS Cochrane was a armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy before the First World War. She served in the 2nd Cruiser Squadron during the war under Rear-Admiral Herbert Heath, taking part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. She was based in Murmansk in mid-1918 during the Allied intervention in the...
, which was one of the ships that escorted George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
to the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1911. He was promoted to Sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
in 1912 and at the beginning of 1914 he was appointed to HM Yacht Victoria and Albert
HMY Victoria and Albert III
HMY Victoria and Albert III a Royal Yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The yacht was designed by the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy Sir William White. She was launched in 1899 but was not ready for service until 1901...
on which his father had also served.
At the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, all Royal Yachtsmen were transferred to one of two ships in the Grand Fleet, HMS Agincourt
HMS Agincourt (1913)
HMS Agincourt was a dreadnought built in the early 1910s. The ship was originally ordered by Brazil, but the collapse of the rubber boom plus a lessening of the rivalry with Argentina led to her resale while still under construction to the Ottoman Empire who renamed her as Sultan Osman I...
, on which he served and saw action at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in command of number 4 gun turret, and HMS Erin
HMS Erin
HMS Erin was a dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy which was originally built in response to an order placed by the Ottoman government with the British Vickers company. She was intended, when accepted for service in the Ottoman Navy, to be named Reshadieh...
. He specialised in signals was promoted to Flag Lieutenant in 1917.
After the war, he held a number of brief appointments, including a period as tutor at HM Signal School, before being appointed, despite his lowly rank, to HMS Iron Duke
HMS Iron Duke (1912)
HMS Iron Duke was a battleship of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class, named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. She served as the flagship of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, including at the Battle of Jutland...
in the Spring of 1922 as Fleet Signal Officer of the Mediterranean Fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir Osmond Brock
Osmond Brock
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886, he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every...
C-in-C. He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in 1924 just prior to his marriage to Patricia Hanbury, the sister-in-law of Herbert Fitzherbert
Herbert Fitzherbert
Admiral Sir Herbert Fitzherbert, KCIE, CB, CMG was a Royal Navy admiral who served as the third Flag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navy, from 1937 to 1943.-Life and career:...
, the Executive Officer of the Iron Duke and was made a Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1928.
Cunninghame Graham had the unusual experience of attending all three staff colleges: Naval at Greenwich 1929-30; Army at Camberwell 1930-31; and Air Force at Andover 1934. Between 1931 and 1934, he served as Executive Officer on the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Cardiff on the South Africa station . He was appointed Staff Officer (Operations and Intelligence) at Nore Command in 1935. Having resigned himself, as had happened to his father, to remain a Commander for the rest of his naval service, he was promoted to Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
, at the last possible juncture under the batch system then in force, on 31 December 1935.
In January, 1936, George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
died and Cunninghame Graham, awaiting his first command, acted as Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Prince Paul of Greece
Paul of Greece
Paul reigned as King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.-Family and early life:Paul was born in Athens, the third son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia. He was trained as a naval officer....
during his visit to London for the state funeral. He was appointed in the autumn of 1936 to HMS Tarantula
Insect class gunboat
The Insect class patrol boats were a class of small, but well-armed Royal Navy ships designed for use in shallow rivers or inshore. They were intended for use on the Danube...
as Senior Naval Officer on the West River in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This was the time of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. On his return from China, he was offered the post of Captain of the "stone frigate" HMS President
HMS President (shore establishment)
HMS President is a stone frigate, or shore establishment of the Royal Naval Reserve; on the northern bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.-Present day:...
, which he declined, going on Half-pay
Half-pay
In the British Army and Royal Navy of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, half-pay referred to the pay or allowance an officer received when in retirement or not in actual service....
at his own request from 14 April 1938 until 2 March 1939, when he was appointed Captain of HM Signal School.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he held four commands. When war was declared he was serving as Captain of HM Signal School, which also entailed being Deputy to the Commodore of Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
, and, thus, oversaw the research into the development of naval RDF
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
.
His next appointment, in 1941, was as Captain of the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Kent
HMS Kent (54)
HMS Kent was a heavy cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. She was the lead ship of the Kent subclass. After completion the ship was sent to the China Station where she remained until the beginning of the Second World War, aside from a major refit in 1937–38...
on the Russian convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
. HMS Kent was selected to carry a diplomatic party which included: H.E. Ivan M Maisky, the Soviet Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
; Rt Hon Anthony Eden , Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office
This is a list of Permanent Under-Secretaries in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1790.Not to be confused with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs...
; and Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir Archibald Nye
Archibald Nye
Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Edward Nye, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, KCB, KBE, MC was a British Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II...
, VCIGS, to Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
from where they would travel by train to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
for talks with Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. As the diplomatic party were without any ciphering staff, it fell to Cunninghame Graham to inform the Foreign Secretary that the UK had declared war on Japan. In the Autumn of 1942, he became Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Louis ‘’Turtle’’ Hamilton who had chosen to hoist his flag in HMS ‘’Kent’’.
Subsequently, in August, 1943, he was promoted to Commodore (2nd Class) in charge of the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, in command of 20,000 officers, men and women with a daily turnover of 1,000. Also during this time, he was an Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the King
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
(his father had been a Groom-in-Waiting to Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and an Equerry to George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
) and was awarded a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in the 1944 New Year's Honours List. Finally in January, 1945, there came a second promotion to Rear-Admiral in command of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, and 2nd in Command of the Home Fleet, hoisting his flag first in HMS ’’Diadem’’
HMS Diadem (84)
HMS Diadem was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Bellona subgroup of the Royal Navy. She was a modified Dido design with only four turrets but improved AA armament - aka Dido Group 2. She was built by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited , UK), with the keel being laid down on 15...
and then in HMS ’’Birmingham
HMS Birmingham (C19)
HMS Birmingham was a member of the first group of five ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers. She was built at Devonport Dockyard , and launched on 1 September 1936.-Early career:...
.
After the War he continued to command the 10th Cruiser Squadron (later 2nd Cruiser Squadron with his flag in HMS Superb
HMS Superb (25)
HMS Superb was a Minotaur-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear on 23 June 1942, launched on 31 August 1943 and commissioned on 16 November 1945....
), during which time, he took part in the victory celebrations in the Netherlands and had the honour of having Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhardt
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
as dinner guests; he was also dispatched to Sweden on an official goodwill visit, being granted a private audience with King Gustav V
Gustaf V of Sweden
Gustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
.
In 1947, he became Admiral Superintendent at HM Dockyard, Rosyth
Rosyth Dockyard
Rosyth Dockyard is a large naval dockyard on the Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland, owned by Babcock Marine, which primarily undertakes refitting of Royal Navy surface vessels.-History:...
., receiving a CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and was promoted to Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
a year later. He was appointed Flag Officer, Scotland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
in 1950. He was advanced to KBE in the 1951 New Year Honours and retired in October of the same year. He received his final promotion to Admiral on 15 March 1952.
In retirement he became Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire
Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire. Before the twentieth century, the county was spelled Dumbartonshire.*John Elphinstone, 11th Lord Elphinstone...
(1955–1968) and Keeper of Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
(1955–1981), the first Naval Officer to hold the post. In 1985, his widow donated his uniform and medals to the castle where they are on public display. He also was a member of the Royal Company of Archers
Royal Company of Archers
The Royal Company of Archers is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. It is currently known as the Queen's...
achieving a final rank of Captain.
He donated his papers (1913–1980) to Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.In 1958, a Trust was established with Sir Winston Churchill as its Chairman of Trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 Students as a national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its...
and his naval archive (covering the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries)to the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
.
Family
Born in Chelsea, Angus was the second child and only son of Commander Charles Elphinstone-Fleeming Cunninghame Graham MVORoyal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Mildred Emily Barbara, daughter of Charles Walter Bagot, Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Castle Rising
Castle Rising
Castle Rising is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is best known as the location of Castle Rising Castle, which dominates the village...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. He was baptised on 16 March 1893 in the Chapel Royal, having Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
) as his godfather and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife
Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife
The Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife was the third child and the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark...
(later the Princess Royal
Princess Royal
Princess Royal is a style customarily awarded by a British monarch to his or her eldest daughter. The style is held for life, so a princess cannot be given the style during the lifetime of another Princess Royal...
), as his godmother. This led to his attending the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
as page
Page (servant)
A page or page boy is a traditionally young male servant, a messenger at the service of a nobleman or royal.-The medieval page:In medieval times, a page was an attendant to a knight; an apprentice squire...
to the Duke of Fife
Duke of Fife
Duke of Fife is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, named after Fife in Scotland. There have been two creations of the title, the first in 1889 and the second in 1900, both in favour of Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife in the Peerage of Ireland and 1st Earl of Fife in the Peerage of the...
, for which he was awarded the 1902 Coronation Medal
King Edward VII Coronation Medal
The King Edward VII Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal issued in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.-Issue:The medal was only awarded to people who attended the coronation, or participated in the coronation parade...
.
In October, 1924, he married Mary Patricia, the youngest daughter of the banker, Col Lionel Hanbury of Hitcham House CMG, VD High Sheriff of the County of London (1920–21); they had one son, Robert Elphinstone, who followed his father into the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; and one daughter, Jean, who first married Charles Jauncey of Tullichettle
Charles Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle
Charles Eliot Jauncey, Baron Jauncey of Tullichettle PC was a British judge and advocate. He was often praised as one of the finest legal minds of his generation in Scotland, and his legal opinions - both as a practising advocate and as a judge - commanded immense respect.-Biography:Jauncey was...
and secondly Harry Polwarth
Henry Hepburne-Scott, 10th Lord Polwarth
Henry Alexander Hepburne-Scott, 10th Lord Polwarth TD , was a Scottish chartered accountant, businessman and Conservative politician....
. He had seven grandchildren. He was the only nephew of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, the Scottish author and politician, to whom he was heir and literary executor.