Difference between revisions of "Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair"

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Admiral SIR Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair, K.C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (18 August, 1873 – 4 November, 1939) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Sinclair was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1894.^[1]

Following the disturbances at the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, Sinclair was appointed Commander of the Barracks in succession to Commander Drury-Lowe.^[2] If the editor's detective work is correct, there is a charming story about Sinclair recounted in Fabulous Admirals:

… a Commander was appointed who had the reputation of standing no nonsense, and of doing things in an unorthodox way which the blue-jackets, once they had got over the their surprise, appreciated. As the trouble took some time to die down, there was a fairly steady procession to the cells.
One day the Commander was walking past the guardroom when a white-faced blue-jacket ran out/ 'Oh, sir, that stoker who was sent to the cells this morning. He's tried to hang himself.'
Hard on his heels came a ship's corporal, scarcely less excited. 'It's all right, sir. It's quite all right now. We've taken his rope away from him.'
'Why?' demanded the Commander calmly. 'Give him back his rope at once.'
The man made no further attempt to hang himself.^[3]

Sinclair was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1909.^[4]

In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1916, Sinclair was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).^[5]

Post-War

Sinclair was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, vice Power, on 25 November, 1920.^[6]

In 1923 Sinclair succeeded Sir Mansfield Smith Cumming as "Head of the Secret Service". The latter described him as "in every way qualified and suitable" for the post, and told Sir Samuel Hoare (later Viscount Templewood), "I feel sure that in his capable hands this organisation will grow to be very useful—it is not too much to say essential—to the Govt. Departments we serve." He also became head of the Government Code & Cypher School, for which he had been responsible as D.N.I.^[7]

Sinclair was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 2 March, 1926, vice Johnson.

On 15 May, 1930, Sinclair was promoted to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List.^[8]

Sinclair became seriously ill with cancer, causing Alexander Cadogan to note on 19 October, 1940, that he was "going downhill." On 29 October he underwent an operation for his cancer and died on 4 November.^[9]

Footnotes

Bibliography

Service Records