| Admiral The Hon. Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1880 St Marylebone, London |
| Died | October 16, 1967 (aged 87) Poole, Dorset |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1894-1941 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Director, Royal Naval College, Greenwich (1919-1922) President of Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control (Berlin) (Jan 1923-Aug 1924) HMS Marlborough (Apr 1926-February 1927) 1st Battle Squadron (May 1929-Apr 1930) America and West Indies Station (Apr 1932-Oct 1934) Plymouth Command (Jun 1935-Sep 1938) |
| Battles/wars | World War I - Heligoland - Dogger Bank - Jutland World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Order of St Stanislas (2nd cl.) with Swords (1916) Knight Grand Cross, Order of Orange Nassau (19 Jan 1943) |
| Relations | Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany |
| Other work | Home Guard (1941-1943)) Commodore of Ocean Convoys (April 1943-July 1945) Justice of the Peace Deputy Lieutenant, Dorset, (Oct 1941) |
Admiral The Hon. Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, KCB, DSO, JP, DL (28 August 1880 – 16 October 1967) was a British admiral. He is often referred to as Reginald Plunkett[1] or Reginald Drax.[2]
He was the younger son of the 17th Baron of Dunsany (1853–1899)[1] and his wife, the former Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Ernle-Erle-Drax (1855–1916), née Burton.[1] His elder brother was Lord Dunsany, a prolific writer and author of over 60 books.
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Sir Reginald, born a Plunkett, was christened Reginald Aylmer Ranfurley (Plunkett) on 9 September 1880 at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, Westminster,[3] and assumed the Ernle-Erle-Drax on 4 October 1916.[4] His long series of titles, Christian names, surnames and postnominals has made him famous beyond his career as an Admiral in the Royal Navy.[5] Elsewhere, the name has been cited as having inspired 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.
Plunkett was educated at Cheam School[1] and joined the navy at the age of 16, training aboard the stationary school ship, HMS Britannia.[1]
He served during the First World War aboard the battlecruiser HMS Lion[1] and was present at the naval battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland.[1] He was promoted captain on 30 June 1916.[1]
He was awarded the DSO in 1918 whilst commanding HMS Blanche.[1]
Plunkett held a series of senior naval appointments between the wars. From 1919 to 1922, he was Director of the Naval Staff College, Greenwich.[1] He then served as President of the Naval Allied Control Commission in Germany from 1923 to 1924.[1]
As a Rear Admiral, he commanded the 1st Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet from 1929 to 1930.[1] From 1930 to 1932 he was ashore in the Admiralty as Director of Manning.[1]
Promoted to Vice Admiral on 24 September 1932, he held from 1932 to 1934 the much sought after post of Commander of the America and West Indies Squadron.[1]
From 1935 to 1938, he was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.[1]
Sir Reginald was the British half of the Anglo-French delegation sent to Moscow in August 1939[1] 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.
In December 1939, Plunkett was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore[6] serving until 1941. This was an important post as he was responsible for the protection of the 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 the Netherlands and Belgium.
As the war continued, advancing years caused him to retire from the active navy list and to join the Home Guard.[1] Nonetheless, he went to sea from 1943 to 1945 as a convoy commodore, during the Battle of the Atlantic.[1]
Alongside Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond and Vice-Admiral Kenneth Dewar, Plunkett was considered to be an intellectual who held controversial views, including the need for naval reform.[7]
He was an early pioneer of solar heating.[1]
In 1916, Plunkett married Kathleen Chalmers.[1] They had one son and four daughters.[1] Their son is Henry Walter Plunkett, who is the father of Richard Drax, Conservative MP for South Dorset since the 2010 General Election.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Vernon Haggard |
Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station 1932–1934 |
Succeeded by Sir Matthew Best |
| Preceded by Sir Eric Fullerton |
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth 1935–1938 |
Succeeded by Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith |
| Preceded by Sir Studholme Brownrigg |
Commander-in-Chief, The Nore 1939–1941 |
Succeeded by Sir George Lyon |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Roger Backhouse |
First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1939–1941 |
Succeeded by Sir Dudley Pound |