Reginald Graham
{{short description|British army officer & businessman (1892-1980)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant Colonel
| name = Sir Reginald Graham
| image = John Reginald Noble Graham (1892–1980).png
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1892|9|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Calcutta, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|12|6|1892|9|17|df=y}}
| death_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army
| serviceyears =
| rank = Lieutenant Colonel
| servicenumber = 99671
| unit = Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
| commands =
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards = Victoria Cross
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
King Haakon VII's Cross of Liberty (Norway)
| laterwork = Usher of the Green Rod
| module = {{infobox person
| embed = yes
| spouse = {{marriage|Rachel Sprot|1920}}
| relatives = Sir John Graham, 4th Baronet (son)
{{nowrap|Sir Alexander Sprot, 1st Baronet (father-in-law)}}
| children = 2
| education = Eton College
| alma_mater = Trinity College, Cambridge
}}
}}
Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Reginald Noble Graham, 3rd Baronet (17 September 1892 – 6 December 1980), was a British businessman, army officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He received the award "for most conspicuous bravery, coolness and resource when in command of a Machine Gun Section" during the Samarra offensive in 1917, during the First World War.{{London Gazette|issue=30284 |supp=y|page=9532|date=14 September 1917}}
Early life
Graham was born at Calcutta, India, on 17 September 1892, the eldest son of Sir Frederick Graham, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge.
First World War
Soon after the First World War broke out, Graham joined the British Army and was posted to 9th Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's). In 1916 he was seconded to 136 Company, Machine Gun Corps, which was sent to Mesopotamia. During the Samarra offensive, Lieutenant Graham was in command of a machine gun section co-operating with the 56th Punjabi Rifles (Frontier Force) near Istabulat on the evening of 22 April 1917. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his subsequent actions that night:
{{quote|Lt. Graham accompanied his guns across open ground, under very heavy rifle and machine gun fire, and when his men became casualties, he assisted in carrying the ammunition.
Although twice wounded he continued during the advance to control his guns and was able, with one gun, to open an accurate fire on the enemy, who were massing for a counter-attack. This gun was put out of action by the enemy's rifle fire, and he was again wounded. The advancing enemy forced him to retire, but before doing so he further disabled his gun, rendering it useless.
He then brought a Lewis gun into action with excellent effect till all the ammunition was expended. He was again severely wounded, and forced through loss of blood to retire.
His valour and skilful handling of his guns held up a strong counter-attack which threatened to roll up the left flank of the Brigade, and thus averted what might have been a very critical situation.}}
After recovering from his severe wounds Captain Graham, as he had become, was ordered back to Mesopotamia where he continued to serve until January 1918, when his company was transferred to Palestine where he was given command of the unit with the rank of major.
After the war, Graham returned to Scotland to a hero's welcome at his home village of Cardross.[http://www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=950:villagers-chaired-vc-hero&catid=88:military&Itemid=462%20Villagers%20chaired%20VC%20hero Villagers chaired VC hero] – Helensburgh Heritage.
Business ventures and later life
Graham later worked in India in branches of the family firm, William Graham and Company, founded by his great-great-grandfather in Glasgow.[http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/mlemen/mlemen041.htm Memoirs and portraits of 100 Glasgow men: 41. William Graham]. This is William Graham junior, son of the firm's founder. His brother, John Graham of Skelmorlie, mentioned in the article, was father of the 1st Baronet.
In 1920 Graham married Rachel Sprot, daughter of Sir Alexander Sprot, 1st Baronet. They had one son (who inherited the baronetcy as Sir John Graham, 4th Baronet) and one daughter, Lesley, who married Jock Wykeham Strang Steel.Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2011 – Steel of Philiphaugh Baronet.
File:Reginald_Graham_Memorial_Stone.jpg
Graham succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1936. During the Second World War, he was given a temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and served in Scottish Command. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1946 New Year Honours,{{London Gazette |issue=37407 |page=20 |date=1 January 1946}} and awarded King Haakon VII's Cross of Liberty in 1949.{{London Gazette |issue=38571 |supp=y |page=1530 |date=25 March 1949}}
From 1959 to 1979 Graham was Usher of the Green Rod to the Order of the Thistle,{{London Gazette |city=e |issue=17692 |page=115 |date=24 February 1959}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=C-sqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Reginald+Graham+of+Larbert%22 Order of the Thistle] – Whitaker's Almanack 1972. and participated in many state occasions including the unveiling of a memorial to King George VI in St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh in 1962.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19620705&id=yptAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5791,552611 Memorial To King George VI Unveiled] – The Glasgow Herald, 5 July 1962. He died aged 88 in Edinburgh.Deaths: Graham – On 6 December 1980, Sir Reginald Graham of Larbert, Baronet, V.C., O.B.E. ..., The Times, London, 9 December 1980, p. 24.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19801210&id=TclAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=E6YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5338,1909010 War hero dies] – The Glasgow Herald, 10 December 1980. He was cremated at Mortonhall Crematorium.{{Cite web|url=http://www.victoriacross.org.uk/scoedinb.htm|title=SCOTLAND EDINBURGH|website=www.victoriacross.org.uk}}
Lady Graham died in 1984.Deaths: Graham – On 4 April 1984, Rachel (née Sprot) widow of Sir Reginald Graham Bart V.C., O.B.E. ..., The Times, London, 6 April 1984, p. 28.
Memorials
Graham's medals are held by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum in Stirling Castle on loan from the family.
Reginald Graham's Commemorative Memorial Stone was unveiled at the Cardross War Memorial on 22 April 2017, the 100th anniversary of his gallant action. There is a second Commemorative Memorial Stone to him in the National Memorial Arboretum along with Memorial Stones for all the other VCs who were born abroad.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/winner-of-first-world-war-victoria-cross-paving-stone-design-competition-unveiled|title=Winner of First World War Victoria Cross paving stone design competition unveiled|website=GOV.UK}}
Honours
| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" | ||
| style="background:silver;" align="center"
|Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| 40px | Victoria Cross (VC) | * 14 September 1917 |
| 40px | Order of the British Empire (OBE) | * Officer
|
| 40px | Baronetcy (Bt) | * 3rd Baronet of Larbert House and Househill
|
| 40px | British War Medal | * 26 July 1919 |
| 40px | WWI Victory Medal | * 1 September 1919 |
| 40px | Defence Medal | |
| 40px | War Medal | |
| 40px | King George V Silver Jubilee Medal | * 6 May 1935 |
| 40px | King George VI Coronation Medal | * 12 May 1937 |
| 40px | Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal | * 2 June 1953 |
| 40px | Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal | * 6 February 1977
|
| 40px | King Haakon VII Freedom Cross | * 25 March 1949
|
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20041225165403/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/edinburg.htm Location of grave and VC medal] (Edinburgh)
- [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030019133 Private Papers of Lieutenant Colonel Sir Reginald Graham Bt VC OBE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050156/http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030019133 |date=4 March 2016 }} – Imperial War Museum
- Graham, Sir (John) Reginald Noble, [https://books.google.com/books?id=XlZjSwAACAAJ Burke's peerage, baronetage & knightage, clan chiefs, Scottish feudal barons] 107th edition, volume 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage & Gentry (UK) Limited, 2003
- [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U154988 GRAHAM, Sir (John) Reginald (Noble)], Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007, retrieved 21 August 2012.
{{s-start}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-bef|before=Frederick Graham}}
{{s-ttl|title=Baronet|creation=of Larbert|years=1936–1980}}
{{s-aft|after=John Graham}}
{{s-end}}
{{Royal Regiment of Scotland}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Reginald}}
Category:Nobility from Argyll and Bute
Category:Military personnel from Kolkata
Category:People educated at Eton College
Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Category:Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders officers
Category:British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:British Army personnel of World War II
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:Machine Gun Corps officers
Category:Recipients of the King Haakon VII Freedom Cross