Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly
Encyclopedia
Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly KCMG
(29 May 1914 – 6 November 1988), known as Dan Ranfurly, was a British soldier and farmer, and served as governor of the Bahamas.
He was a Second Lieutenant
in the British 7th Armoured Division, called "the Desert Rats". His exploits in the Second World War, along with those of his wife, Hermione
and his valet, Whitaker, were chronicled in his wife's memoirs from the time, To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939–1945.
. He was commissioned into the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
in 1936. He and his wife met in 1937 when he was an aide-de-camp
to Lord Gowrie
, the Governor-General of Australia
, an appointment Ranfurly held from 1936 to 1938. Two years later, both aged 25, they returned to Britain
and were married. They later had a daughter, Caroline.
. His wife, violating multiple British Army
protocols forbidding the wives of soldiers at the front, repeatedly hatched schemes to join him as he was shuffled across the Middle East and North Africa, finally succeeding in Cairo in 1941.
Soon after, however, Dan Ranfurly who had been appointed as ADC to Lt. Gen. Neame were both Captured in Cyrenaica desert between Derna and Mechili in April 1941. He was taken to Sulmona camp in the Abruzzo near Rome, but joined Neame again when they were both transferred to Castello di Vincigliata
PG12 in October 1941. He was amongst many distinguished British officers including including generals Richard O'Connor
, Philip Neame
, and Adrian Carton de Wiart
. He became friends with Carton De Wiart, and adapted to prison life, managing the officers house-keeping and Red Cross parcels . As de Wiart wrote, ‘He was our most expert gambler, did me the good turn of teaching me to play backgammon.’ Boyd's ADC Flt.Lt.Leeming wrote 'Four more prisoners arrived ..including Lieutenant Lord Ranfurly, who took over the management of the household in my place.
He helped with the tunnel escape. 'Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd
and Ranfurly made a cover for our hole from the lift shaft to the chapel, and Ranfurly plastered it over and it was never detected'.
, not long after being appointed Governor of the Bahamas by Winston Churchill
. While there, he and his wife began the Ranfurly Library Service in Nassau
.
After they returned home in 1957, Lady Ranfurly continued to ship books to parts of the world short on libraries, founding an organisation now known as Book Aid International
. Lord Ranfurly, meanwhile, took up farming at his Buckinghamshire
estate.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(29 May 1914 – 6 November 1988), known as Dan Ranfurly, was a British soldier and farmer, and served as governor of the Bahamas.
He was a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the British 7th Armoured Division, called "the Desert Rats". His exploits in the Second World War, along with those of his wife, Hermione
Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly
Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly, OBE, , was the British author of To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939–1945...
and his valet, Whitaker, were chronicled in his wife's memoirs from the time, To War With Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939–1945.
Background
Ranfurly was the son of Captain Thomas Uchter Caulfeild Knox, Viscount Northland, and succeeded his grandfather in the earldom in 1933. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He was commissioned into the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry is one of the five squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry , an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army. Designated as 'S' Squadron, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry's current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Nuclear...
in 1936. He and his wife met in 1937 when 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 Lord Gowrie
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
, the Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, an appointment Ranfurly held from 1936 to 1938. Two years later, both aged 25, they returned to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and were married. They later had a daughter, Caroline.
Action in World War II
On outbreak of war Second Lieutenant, Lord (Dan) Ranfurly of the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) - 1st Cavalry Division was initially posted to British-controlled Palestine, thence to join with the 7th Division in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. His wife, violating multiple British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
protocols forbidding the wives of soldiers at the front, repeatedly hatched schemes to join him as he was shuffled across the Middle East and North Africa, finally succeeding in Cairo in 1941.
Soon after, however, Dan Ranfurly who had been appointed as ADC to Lt. Gen. Neame were both Captured in Cyrenaica desert between Derna and Mechili in April 1941. He was taken to Sulmona camp in the Abruzzo near Rome, but joined Neame again when they were both transferred to Castello di Vincigliata
Vincigliata
Vincigliata Castle is a medieval castle which stands on a rocky hill to the east of Fiesole in the Italian region of Tuscany. In the mid-nineteenth century the building, which had fallen into a ruinous state, was acquired by the Englishman John Temple-Leader and entirely reconstructed in the...
PG12 in October 1941. He was amongst many distinguished British officers including including generals Richard O'Connor
Richard O'Connor
General Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor KT, GCB, DSO & Bar, MC, ADC was a British Army general who commanded the Western Desert Force in the early years of World War II...
, Philip Neame
Philip Neame
Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC, KBE, CB, DSO, KStJ was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, and Adrian Carton de Wiart
Adrian Carton de Wiart
Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO , was a British officer of Belgian and Irish descent...
. He became friends with Carton De Wiart, and adapted to prison life, managing the officers house-keeping and Red Cross parcels . As de Wiart wrote, ‘He was our most expert gambler, did me the good turn of teaching me to play backgammon.’ Boyd's ADC Flt.Lt.Leeming wrote 'Four more prisoners arrived ..including Lieutenant Lord Ranfurly, who took over the management of the household in my place.
He helped with the tunnel escape. 'Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd
Owen Tudor Boyd
Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd CB, OBE, MC, AFC was an officer in the British Royal Flying Corps during most of World War I...
and Ranfurly made a cover for our hole from the lift shaft to the chapel, and Ranfurly plastered it over and it was never detected'.
After World War II
Following the end of World War II, Lord Ranfurly worked briefly in insurance at Lloyd's of LondonLloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
, not long after being appointed Governor of the Bahamas by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. While there, he and his wife began the Ranfurly Library Service in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
.
After they returned home in 1957, Lady Ranfurly continued to ship books to parts of the world short on libraries, founding an organisation now known as Book Aid International
Book Aid International
Book Aid International is an NGO that exists to encourage literacy and access to books particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East by distributing books to libraries and other locations that increase community access. Book Aid International currently work in 12 countries in sub-Shahran...
. Lord Ranfurly, meanwhile, took up farming at his Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
estate.
External links
Sources
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- To War with Whitaker, The wartime diaries of The Countess of Ranfurly 1939 -1945, William Heinemann Ltd, London 1994 ISBN 0-434-00224-0
- Happy Odyssey, Lt-Gen. Sir Carton De Wiart,V.C.,K.B.E.,C.M.G.,D.S.O., Jonathan Cape Ltd, 1950, in PAN paperback 1956, re-printed by Pen & Sword Books 2007 ISBN 184415539-0
- Playing with Strife, The Autobiography of a Soldier, Lt-Gen. Sir Philip Neame, V.C., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1947.
- Farewell Campo 12, Brigadier James Hargest, C.B.E., D.S.O. M.C., Michael Joseph Ltd, 1945.
- 'Always To-Morrow', 1951, John F Leeming, George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, London, 188p, Illustrated with photographs and maps, (Tells of the authors' experiences as a prisoner of the Italians during WW2)