Reginald Drax
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Admiral The Honourable Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, KCB, DSO, JP, DL (1880–1967) was the younger son of the 17th Baron of Dunsany (1853–1899) and his wife, the former Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Ernle-Erle-Drax (1855-1916), née Burton. His elder brother was the Lord Dunsany, the writer.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early naval career
Drax was educated at Cheam School and joined the navy at the age of 16, training aboard the stationary school ship, HMS Britannia.
He served during the First World War aboard the battlecruiser HMS Lion and was present at the naval battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland. He was promoted captain on June 30th, 1916.
In 1916, Drax married Kathleen Chalmers. They had one son and four daughters.
He won the DSO in 1918 when commanding HMS Blanche.
[edit] Between the wars
Drax had a series of high naval appointments between the wars. From 1919 to 1922, he was Director of the Naval Staff College, Greenwich.
As a Rear Admiral, he commanded the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet from 1929 to 1930. From 1930 to 1932 he was ashore in the Admiralty as Director of Manning.
Promoted to Vice Admiral on September 24th, 1932, he held from 1932 to 1934 the much sought after post of Commander of the North America and West Indies Squadron.
From 1935 to 1938, he was Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, a shore appointment.
[edit] Quadruple-barrelled name
Sir Reginald's long series of titles, Christian names, surnames and postnominals has made him famous beyond his career as an Admiral in the Royal Navy. Elsewhere, the name has been cited as inspiring some of the more fanciful appellations employed by writers about the British aristocracy such as P. G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. See double-barrelled name.
[edit] Mission to Moscow
Sir Reginald was the British half of the Anglo-French delegation sent to Moscow in August 1939 to discuss a possible alliance with the USSR. As an indication of the low priority the Allied Governments put on the mission, it was sent by sea. The Soviets did not take the delegation seriously.
[edit] Doing his bit: World War Two
At the beginning of World War II, Drax was Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, serving until 1941. This was a critical post as he was responsible for the protection of the vital east coast convoys from Scotland to London. These faced the multiple threats of acoustic mines and magnetic mines as well as attacks from the air and by surface vessels, especially after the fall of Holland and Belgium.
As the war continued, advancing years caused him to retire from the active navy list and to join the Home Guard. Nonetheless, he went to sea from 1943 to 1945 as a convoy commodore, during the dangerous Battle of the Atlantic.
[edit] Publications and estate
- He wrote a book entitled Handbook on Solar Heating (Montefiore Stalin 272)
- The estate of Admiral Drax was probated at 105,102 pounds sterling (equivalent to £1.25 million in 2005), several months after his 1967 death.
- Admiral Drax's papers are at Churchill College, Cambridge. He left a sum of money to the College to aid in its work.
