Angus Cunninghame Graham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Angus Cunninghame Graham
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Admiral Sir Angus Cunnnghame Graham KBE CB RN
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| Born | 16 February 1893 London, England |
| Died | 14 February 1981 (aged 87) Alexandria, Dunbartonshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1905–1951 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Senior Naval Officer, West River, China HM Signal School HMS Kent Royal Navy Barracks, Chatham 10th & 2nd Cruiser Squadrons HM Dockyard, Rosyth Flag Officer Scotland |
| Battles/wars | World War I Second Sino-Japanese War World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Relations | Adm. Hon.Charles Elphinstone-FLeeming RN MP (great-grandfather) Rt Rev Richard Bagot (great-grandfather) R.B. Cunninghame Graham MP (uncle) Cdr Charles E.- F. Cunninghame Graham, MVO RN, (father) |
Sir Angus Edward Malise Bontine Cunninghame Graham (born 16 February 1893, died 14 February 1981) was a high-ranking officer in the Royal Navy. He eventually became the top naval officer for Scotland, Northern England, and Northern Ireland.
Contents
Angus Cunninghame Graham started his naval journey in 1905. He first attended the RNC, Osborne. His teachers thought he was a good student. In 1907, he moved to RNC Dartmouth. He continued to get good grades in almost all subjects.
He finished his training on HMS Cumberland. In 1910, he became a midshipman. One of his first jobs was on HMS Cochrane. This ship helped escort King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1912. In early 1914, he joined the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. His father had also served on this yacht.
World War I Service
When World War I began, all Royal Yacht crew members joined other ships. Angus Cunninghame Graham served on HMS Agincourt. He fought in the famous Battle of Jutland. During this battle, he was in charge of a large gun turret. He became a specialist in naval signals. In 1917, he was promoted to flag lieutenant.
Between the Wars
After World War I, he had several short jobs. He even taught at the HM Signal School. In 1922, he joined HMS Iron Duke. He was the fleet signal officer for the Mediterranean Fleet. This was a big role for his rank.
He became a lieutenant-commander in 1924. Soon after, he married Patricia Hanbury. In 1928, he was promoted to commander.
Cunninghame Graham did something very unusual. He attended all three military staff colleges. These were for the Navy (1929–30), Army (1930–31), and Air Force (1934). Between 1931 and 1934, he was an executive officer. He served on the cruiser HMS Cardiff in South Africa. In 1935, he became a staff officer at Nore Command. He thought he might stay a commander forever. However, he was promoted to captain on 31 December 1935.
In January 1936, King George V died. Cunninghame Graham helped Prince Paul of Greece during the funeral. In late 1936, he took command of HMS Tarantula. He was the senior naval officer on the West River in China. This was during the Second Sino-Japanese War. When he returned from China, he was offered a shore job. He chose to take a break instead. In March 1939, he became captain of HM Signal School.
World War II Service
During World War II, he held four important commands. When the war started, he was captain of HM Signal School. He also helped manage the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth. He oversaw early research into naval radar.
In 1941, he became captain of the cruiser HMS Kent. This ship was part of the Russian convoys. HMS Kent carried important diplomats to Murmansk. These included the Soviet Ambassador and Anthony Eden, the UK Foreign Secretary. From Murmansk, they traveled to Moscow to meet Stalin. Cunninghame Graham had to tell the Foreign Secretary that the UK had declared war on Japan. In 1942, he became the flag-captain for Rear-Admiral Louis Hamilton on HMS Kent.
In August 1943, he was promoted to commodore (2nd class). He was put in charge of the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham. He commanded 20,000 officers, men, and women. About 1,000 people moved through the barracks daily. During this time, he was also an aide-de-camp to King George VI. He received the CBE award in 1944. In January 1945, he was promoted again to rear-admiral. He commanded the 10th Cruiser Squadron. He was also second in command of the Home Fleet.
After the War and Retirement
After the war, he continued to command the 10th Cruiser Squadron. It was later renamed the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. He took part in victory celebrations in the Netherlands. He hosted Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhardt for dinner. He also visited Sweden officially. There, he met King Gustav V.
In 1947, he became admiral superintendent at HM Dockyard, Rosyth. He received the CB award. A year later, he was promoted to vice admiral. In 1950, he became Flag Officer, Scotland. He was awarded the KBE in 1951. He retired from the Navy in October 1951. He was promoted to full Admiral on 15 March 1952.
In his retirement, he held important local roles. He was Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire from 1955 to 1968. He was also Keeper of Dumbarton Castle from 1955 until his death in 1981. He was the first naval officer to hold this castle role. In 1985, his wife gave his uniform and medals to the castle. They are now on display for people to see. He was also a member of the Royal Company of Archers. He reached the rank of captain in this group.
He donated his personal papers to Churchill College, Cambridge. His naval records were given to the University of California, Irvine.
Family Life
Angus was born in Chelsea, London. He was the second child and only son of Commander Charles Elphinstone-Fleeming Cunninghame Graham. His mother was Mildred Emily Barbara. He was baptized on 25 March 1893. His godparents were very important people. They were Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII), and Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife. Because of this, he was a page at King Edward VII's coronation. For this, he received a special medal.
In October 1924, he married Mary Patricia Hanbury. They had one son, Robert Elphinstone. Robert also joined the Royal Navy, just like his father. They also had one daughter, Jean. Jean later married twice. Angus had seven grandchildren. He was the only nephew of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham. Robert was a famous Scottish author and politician. Angus inherited from him.
Images for kids
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Robert & Angus Cunninghame Graham in Archers uniform
See Also
- List of Royal Navy admirals
