Conduct most reprehensible

[dante]

Sometime go I purchased from a dealer friend a single British war medal to Commander Lancelot Alan Smythies RN.

A quick check of the 1918 Navy list has him as a Commander and an Interpreter in Arabic and Russian…..his National Archives documents give a lot more information.

Lancelot was born in Edinburgh on the 3 February 1882, his father was Commander Kingsmill Smythies who served in the Zulu wars, Transvaal and Egypt in 1882 as part of the naval brigade.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1897 as a midshipman on HMS Britainia and was in the same class as the future Admiral AB Cunningham.

On passing out his documents show him in various ships;

HMS Ramilles (Mediterranean) 1898-1900

HMS Highflyer (East Indies) 1901-1902

HMS Revenge (Home) 1902-1903

HMS Racehorse (Chatham) 1904-1905

HMS Leander and Staff officer (Mediterranean) 1905-1906

HMS Duncan (Mediterranean) 1906-1907

HMS Sphinx (East Indies) 1907-1909 conducting anti-slavery and gun running patrols

The East Indies station covered areas surrounding the Indian Ocean such as the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, Aden, Ceylon, India and part of the East Coast of Africa.

It was while on HMS Sphinx that he qualified as an acting interpreter in Arabic and when the Sphinx was paid off on the 26 March 1909 Lancelot was allowed to travel overland via Persia and Russia returning home on the 26 March 1909.

He must have found it taxing as he applied for six months half pay on account of his health.

In August1909 he returned to full pay and while attached to HMS Charybdis he was granted half pay to go to Russia to study Russian for 4 months……although he appears to have stayed for two years!!

On his return home on the 22 January 1911 he applied for appointment as interpreter in Russian but was refused and in March appointed to HMS Pelorus as acting interpreter and in August appointed to HMS Prince George and promoted to Lt Commander in June 1912.

At the same time as his promotion he was told to refund his interpreters gratuity and because of this he requested early retirement but was refused.

Nothing is known about his war service other than he was an interpreter as an acting commander and in 1918 confirmed in the rank. ( I believe he was in part involved in Naval Intelligence)

He was awarded the 1915 star, British war medal and victory with service in (according to the Navy list) as HMS Leviathan, Flagship, North America and West Indies Squadron (although noted as "Gibralter" on medal documents).

In May 1919 he was part of the Lt General Gough’s military mission of 44 British officers to Estonia to assist General Yudenich commander of the Russian white army in Estonia.

His documents state “Lent to Foreign Office 24 May 1919” they also go on to say 8 March 1920 “The conduct with the case of Professor Goode most reprehensible and that services with the Foreign Office no longer required” Admiral Cowan furnishes a report stating “no fault to find with officer”

Lord Hardinge the then secretary of state at the Foreign Office and the Director Naval Intelligence continue to disagree about his conduct……….(see below for all the comments)

The case of “Goode” refers to Professor Goode special correspondent to the Manchester Guardian newspaper who in the spring of 1919 managed to go to Russia to interview Lenin and on his return was arrested by Lancelot and placed aboard a British ship (see press cutting).

For services during the Estonian War of Independence he was awarded the Estonian Cross of Freedom on the 26.03.1920.

Lancelot returned to the UK and placed on half pay and promoted Captain in 1927.

The next we see of him is at a term reunion in 1948 as noted in Admiral Cunningham’s biography “Cunningham the Commander” by pack (Photo attached).

In 1958 and 1960 he travelled to Australia.

Lancelot died on the14th October 1967 and his wife Mary Ann nee Angerstein who he married in 1917 and who died in 1969 (her great uncle John Julius Angerstein (1735-1823) was a prolific collector whose collection, purchased by the Government in 1824, and formed the nucleus of the National Gallery, London).

His son John Angerstein Lancelot Smythies born 1919 died 1994

Edited January 26, 2013 by dante

[dante]

Press clipping on Goode's attempted assassination by Smythies!!

[dante]

I have now spend a bit more time researching Captain Smythies and found out he was Assistant Commissioner on the "Tallents mission" mission to Estonia 1919 and awarded the Estonian Cross of Freedom on the 26.03.1920