Reginald Drax

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 or Reginald Drax.

He 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 Lord Dunsany, a prolific writer and author of over 60 books.

Quadruple-barrelled name
Sir Reginald, born a Plunkett, was christened Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly (Plunkett) on 9 September 1880 at Holy Trinity Church, Marylebone, Westminster, and assumed the Ernle-Erle-Drax on 4 October 1916. His 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 having inspired some of the more fanciful appellations employed by writers about the British aristocracy such as P. G. Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh; and in the penultimate episode of Series 2 of the BBC1 costume drama Upstairs Downstairs, the storyline adopts the conceit that Admiral Drax was known amongst his civil servants as "Admiral Acronym". Upstairs Downstairs features a leading character, Sir Hallam Holland, who is a member of the British Government's Foreign Office. The leaking of this nickname by Sir Hallam's lover to the German authorities forms part of the storyline of the final episode.

Early naval career
Plunkett was educated at Cheam School and joined the navy at the age of 14, training aboard the stationary school ship, HMS Britannia. He was promoted Lieutenant 15 January 1901.

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 30 June 1916.

He was awarded the DSO in 1918 whilst commanding HMS Blanche.

Between the wars
Plunkett held a series of senior naval appointments between the wars. From 1919 to 1922, he was Director of the Naval Staff College, Greenwich. He then served as President of the Naval Allied Control Commission in Germany from 1923 to 1924.

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 24 September 1932, he held from 1932 to 1934 the much sought after post of Commander of the America and West Indies Squadron.

From 1935 to 1938, he was Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.

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 because Sir Reginald did not have any power to make decisions without the approval of the British government, rendering him next to powerless.

Second World War
In December 1939, Plunkett was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Nore 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. Nonetheless, he went to sea from 1943 to 1945 as a convoy commodore, during the Battle of the Atlantic.

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.

Civilian life
He was an early pioneer of solar heating.

Publications

 * He wrote a book entitled Handbook on Solar Heating (Montefiore Stalin 272)
 * Admiral Plunkett's papers are at Churchill College, Cambridge.
 * He is also referred to in the David Niven autobiography The Moon Is a Balloon when he assisted in the starting of Niven's career. Niven was on his uppers, having left the Army and adrift in the nascent Hollywood.  After a cocktail party, on the Admiral's ship, he was deposited the following morning into the press barge at a PR junket for the launch of the film Mutiny on the Bounty.  Niven goes on to reveal it made him stand out and be recognised and become the only man "to crash Hollywood in a battleship".

Family
In 1916, Plunkett married Kathleen Chalmers. They had one son and four daughters. Their son is Henry Walter Plunkett, who is the father of Richard Drax, Conservative MP for South Dorset since the 2010 General Election.