Francis Cromie

Francis Newton Allen Cromie
Captain Francis Cromie
Born(1882-01-30)30 January 1882
Duncannon, Ireland
Died31 August 1918(1918-08-31) (aged 36)
Killed in the British Embassy, Petrograd, Russia
Buried
Smolensky Cemetery, Saint Petersburg, Russia
AllegianceUnited Kingdom British Empire
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1897-1918
RankCaptain (Acting)
Commander
Naval attaché
CommandsDepot Ship HMS Onyx and British Royal Navy Devenport submarine flotilla
Depot Ship HMS Rosario and British Royal Navy China Hong Kong submarine flotilla
British Royal Navy Baltic submarine flotilla
HMS E19
Battles/warsSeymour Expedition
World War I
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
China War Medal (with Peking clasp)
Order of St. George (4th Class)
Order of St. Vladimir (4th Class with Swords)
Order of St. Anna (2nd Class with Swords)
Legion of Honour (Chevalier)
Royal Humane Society (bronze medal)
MemorialsArchangel Memorial in Arkhangelsk, Russia
Spouse(s)Gladys (Gwladys) Catherine Josephine (née Cromie, m. 1907-1920; remarried)

Acting Captain Francis Newton Allen Cromie, CB, DSO (30 January 1882 – 31 August 1918, Petrograd) was a distinguished British Royal Navy officer,[1][2][3][4] military diplomat, and the de facto chief of British Intelligence operations in northern Russia for the British Naval Intelligence Division.[5] At the outbreak of World War I he was commanding officer of the British Royal Navy China Hong Kong submarine flotilla, and from 1915 assumed command of the British submarine flotilla in the Baltic.[1][2][3][4] Later during the First World War and Russian Revolution he was naval attaché to the diplomatic staff of the British Embassy in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg), Russia, where he met his death, while defending the British embassy premises.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

  1. ^ a b c O'Moore, Creagh; Humphris, Edith (1926). The V.C. AND D.S.O.; A complete record of all those officers, non-commissioned officers and men of His Majesty's naval, military and air forces who have been awarded these decorations from the time of their institution, with descriptions of the deeds and services which won the distinctions and with many biographical and other details, compiled from official publications and despatches, letters from commanding officers and other contemporary accounts, and from information from private sources. Vol. III. London: The Standard Art Book Co. Ltd. p. 230.
  2. ^ a b c "KERENSKY'S KIN ARRESTED BY REDS; 40 BRITISH TAKEN. Intense Indignation in London Over Killing of Capt. Cromie—Threats of Reprisals". Brooklyn, New York: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 5 September 1918. p. 2. Archived from the original (JPG) on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014. KERENSKY'S KIN ARRESTED BY REDS; 40 BRITISH TAKEN. Intense Indignation in London Over Killing of Capt. Cromie—Threats of Reprisals.
  3. ^ a b c "SOVIETS RAID BRITISH; Attack on Moscow Consulate Follows Petrograd Outrage". The Washington Post. Washington, District of Columbia. Associated Press. 6 September 1918. p. 1. Archived from the original (JPG) on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014. SOVIETS RAID BRITISH; Attack on Moscow Consulate Follows Petrograd Outrage.
  4. ^ a b c Pollen, Arthur (13 November 1918). PNG "THE TRAGEDY OF CAPTAIN CROMIE. A MARTYR TO DUTY". The Oamaru Mail. Vol. XLVIII, no. 13609. Oamaru, New Zealand. p. 6. Retrieved 9 April 2014. THE TRAGEDY OF CAPTAIN CROMIE. A MARTYR TO DUTY. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  5. ^ a b Ferguson, Harry (2010). Operation Kronstadt: The True Story of Honour, Espionage, and the Rescue of Britain's Greatest Spy The Man with a Hundred Faces. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 9780099514657.
  6. ^ West, Nigel (2010). Historical Dictionary of Naval Intelligence. Lanham, Maryland, USA: Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 73–74. ISBN 9780810867604.