Charles Jocelyn Hambro facts for kids

Sir Charles Jocelyn Hambro (born October 3, 1897 – died August 28, 1963) was a British banker and a secret agent. He held the military rank of Air Commodore, which is a senior officer rank in the air force. He was also honored with the Order of the British Empire (KBE) and the Military Cross (MC) for his brave actions.

Early Life and Military Service

Charles Hambro was born into a family of bankers. His family, originally from Denmark, had settled in England in the early 1800s. His father, Sir Eric Hambro, was also a banker and a Member of Parliament.

School Days and First World War Heroism

Charles went to Eton College from 1910 to 1915. He was very good at cricket and became the team captain in 1915. After Eton, he joined the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, a famous military academy.

In December 1915, he became an officer in the Coldstream Guards. He was sent to the Western Front during World War I right away. He served as an officer for two years. In July 1916, he was promoted to lieutenant.

On September 26, 1917, he received the Military Cross for his amazing bravery. His award citation said he showed "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." He bravely crossed a canal to rescue two wounded soldiers, even though they were very close to enemy lines. Later that day, he led a patrol forward. He personally took down four enemy soldiers and captured several others. He also sent back important information. He was always calm and brave.

Returning to Banking After the War

After the war, Charles left the army in 1919. He then started working in his family's bank, J.C. Hambro & Sons. He played a big part in combining his family's bank with another bank in 1920. The new bank became known as Hambros Bank in 1921.

By 1928, when he was only 30, Charles became a director at the Bank of England. This was a very important role in the country's financial system. He even helped set up a new department for managing money exchange.

Secret Agent During World War II

When World War II began, Charles Hambro took on a new and exciting role. He was put in charge of secret activities in Scandinavia. This included arranging smuggling, setting up spy networks, and planning sabotage missions.

Joining the Special Operations Executive

In June 1940, after France fell to the enemy, Charles became a colonel. He was asked to join the Ministry of Economic Warfare. This was a secret organization that acted as a cover for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE's main job was to encourage people in countries taken over by the enemy to resist.

Through his contacts, Charles connected with the Danish resistance movement. For his important work, he was knighted in 1941, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He refused to take any pay for his military work during the war.

Leading Secret Missions

From December 1940 to November 1941, Charles also oversaw the SOE's operations in France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. He later became the deputy leader of the SOE.

In 1942, he helped create a plan with British and Norwegian groups. This plan was key to Operation Grouse and Operation Swallow. These were important parts of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage missions, which aimed to stop the enemy from making atomic weapons.

Charles was promoted to Air Commodore and became the head of the SOE. He met with Colonel William Joseph Donovan, who led the American spy agency, the OSS. However, a disagreement led Charles to resign from his SOE leadership role in 1943.

For the rest of the war, he led the "British raw materials mission" in Washington. This was a secret way to share information and technology between Britain and the United States. This exchange helped lead to the creation of the first Atomic Bomb as part of the Manhattan Project.

Later Life and Family

After the war, Charles Hambro returned to his banking career. In 1961, he became the chairman of Hambros Bank. He helped the bank grow its business in Africa and Asia, while also keeping strong connections with Scandinavia.

His Family Life

In 1919, Charles married Pamela Cobbold. They had four children together:

• Cynthia Hambro (1921–1986)
• Diana Hambro (born 1922)
• Pamela Hambro (born 1925)
• Charles Hambro, Baron Hambro (1930–2002)

The family lived at Delcombe Manor. Sadly, Pamela passed away in 1932 after a hunting accident. In her memory, Charles built a village hall in Winterborne Stickland in 1934 and named it after her.

In 1936, Charles married again to Dorothy Helen Mackay. They had one daughter, Sally.

A relative, Carl Joachim Hambro, was a politician from Norway. He served as the President of the Norwegian Parliament during World War II.