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Cunningham of Hyndhope
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Blazon of Arms: Argent a shake-fork Sable between a mullet in chief Vert and two dolphins descending respectant of the last, embouchee Gules
SOURCES, NOTES, & CREDITS: pp 597-598 & 2527, “Burke’s Peerage”, 1959, to include B&W illustration for background; Page 92, “The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971”, by L. G. Pine,1972 Heraldry Today, pp 130-134, “Mountbatten”, by Richard Hough, Random House, 1981 and “Wikipedia Article”.
Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham of Hyndhope, KT, GCB, OM, DSO & Two Bars ), Bt. 1st Baron and Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope (7 Jan 1883-12 Jun 1963) was one of the most distinguished Royal Navy officers and commanders of WW1 &WW2
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1883 to Daniel John Cunningham, DCL, LLD, FRS of Edinburgh and Dublin who married in 1878 Elizabeth Cumming, daughter of the Rev. Andrew Browne of Beith, County Ayr. They had issue of three sons with Sir Andrew being the second son and having a younger brother in General Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham, GCMG 1947, KCB 1941, DSO 1918 and the MC 1915.
Sir Andrew received his early education in Dublin and Edinburgh and entered the Royal Navy in 1897 as a naval cadet in the officers’ training ship, Britannia passing out in 1898. In WW1 Cunningham commanded a destroyer, HMS Scorpion for seven years, was Mentioned in Dispatches and awarded the DSO 1915, Bar 1919 and Bar 1920, this last for action in the Baltic in 1920 against the Bolsheviks. In the same year he was promoted Captain.
Interwar Sir Andrew had several commands, and attended senior service schools, graduating from them he was given command of the battleship HMS Rodney in 1930 and in 1932 was promoted to flag rank and appointed ADC to HM the King George V. In 1929 he married Nona Byatt, daughter of Horace Byatt, MA but the couple had no children. Appointed Rear Admiral (Destroyers) in the Mediterranean in 1933. He was promoted Vice Admiral in 1936 and shortly thereafter assumed command of the Battleship
Squadron & second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet with HMS Hood as his flagship. In Sep 1938 he was appointed to the Admiralty as a Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. In 1939 he was made a KCB.
In June 1939 Sir Andrew was appointed C in C, Mediterranean Fleet. In June 1940 Admiral Cunningham convinced the French Fleet in Alexandria to surrender without a fight !
In November 1940 he attacked the Italian navy at the Battle of Taranto causing the Italian Fleet to lose half their ships in one night. Cunningham gave principle credit to his Fleet Air Arm !
In March 1941 at the Battle of Cape Matapan again Cunningham prevailed using his Air Arm, torpedoes and battleships to great effect.
In May 1941 ADM Cunningham’s ships covered the withdrawal of British Troops from Crete which was lost to the Germans at considerable cost to his ships and men ( including the sinking of the destroyer HMS Kelly of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Mountbatten was very lucky to survive with only half his men. Nazi Stukas kept machine gunning sailors in the water ! Thus many of the crew died helpless until pick up by other ships and finally they got out of range of the Nazis.) (The shooting of helpless sailors in the water was murder in my opinion. Ed )
In July 1942 he was created a Baronet and on 31 Jan 1943 he was promoted Admiral of the Fleet. Cunningham received the surrender of the Italian Fleet in 1943, and while sailing under British safe conduct these ships were severely bombed by the Germans !
In 1943 ADM Cunningham was appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff which position he held until 1946. In Jan 1945 ADM Cunningham was created a Knight of the Thistle ! In Sep 1945 he was created Baron Cunningham of Hyndhope of Kirkhope, County Selkirk, Scotland and in the New Year’s Honours on 26 Jan 1946 he was created Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope of Kirkhope, County Selkirk, Scotland
In May 1946 Admiral Cunningham retired and in June 1946 he was appointed to the Order of Merit (OM)
ADM Cunningham received many foreign including four US which were:
Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Army Distinguished Service Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
Viscount Sir Andrew Cunningham died on 12 June 1963.
The artwork is an interpretation of John Hamilton Gaylor.
2020 1017
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