William Alexander Ancrum: Difference between revisions
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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After graduation from the Naval Academy in February 1903, he was assigned first to ''USS Wisconsin'', at the Bremerton, Washington, Navy Yard, for passage to Chefoo, China. There he was transferred to ''USS Oregon'', a unit of the Asiatic Fleet. Detached upon completion of more than two years' duty aboard the latter battleship, he served in the destroyer Chauncey, which patrolled the Western Philippines to enforce neutrality during the [[Russo-Japanese War]], and which also operated with the Army against the Moros. He joined ''USS Minnesota'' at her commissioning, 9 March 1907, and served aboard during her cruise around the world with fifteen other battleships.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2 February 1954 |title=Captain William Ancrum |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/modern-biographical-files-ndl/modern-bios-a/ancrum-william.html |access-date= |website=history.navy.mil |publisher=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]]}}</ref> |
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== Early Career (1903-1917) == |
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=== Graduation and Initial Assignments === |
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He was next ordered to the Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts, where ''USS Flusser'' was fitting out, and served briefly aboard that destroyer after her commissioning on 28 October 1909. On 29 December 1909, he reported to the Navy Yard, Norfolk, Virginia, as an assistant to the Engineer Officer of that Yard, and during that tour of duty served additionally as a member of the Court of Inquiry there. He had temporary duty in connection with ordnance work on ''USS Kearsarge'' and ''USS Kentucky'' at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in October 1911, and when detached from the Norfolk Navy Yard on 16 December 1912, he assumed command of ''USS Warrington'', which he commanded for six months.<ref name=":0" /> |
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In May 1913 he assumed command of ''USS Jarvis'', and from 5 September 1913 to 20 July 1915, he commanded ''USS Flusser'' and the First Division, Torpedo Flotilla, composed of the destroyers ''Flusser'', ''Reid'', ''Preston'', ''Lamson'' and ''Smith'', of the Atlantic Fleet. Part of his division escorted General Funston's Army from Galveston to Vera Cruz, Mexico, during the [[Mexican Border War (1910–1919)|Mexican Campaign]] in 1914, and upon completion of that mission proceeded to Tampico to transport American refugees to Galveston.<ref name=":0" /> |
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Ancrum graduated from the Naval Academy in February of 1903, and received his first assignment aboard the USS ''Wisconsin'' and USS ''Oregon''. |
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From 1915 to 1917 he had duty at the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, with additional duty as the Assistant Umpire from Navy Department Strategic Maneuver No. 2, aboard ''USS Brooklyn''; and attended a course at the Naval War College there.<ref name=":0" /> |
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Duty on USS Chauncey |
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1. Patrolling Western Philippines |
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2. Operations against the Moros |
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C. Service on USS Minnesota |
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1. Commissioning and world cruise |
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D. Various Assignments |
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1. Navy Yard, Boston - USS Flusser |
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2. Norfolk Navy Yard - USS Kearsarge, USS Kentucky |
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3. Command of USS Warrington |
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4. Command of USS Jarvis |
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=== Mexican Campaign and World War I (1913-1918) === |
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On 6 April 1917, the day war was declared on [[Germany]] by the [[United States]], he reported to USS Birmingham for brief duty, after which he was transferred to the gunboat Sacramento, in which he had a short period of duty as Aide to Commander Squadron TWO, Patrol Force, on coastal patrol from Cape Cod to Barnegat.<ref name=":0" /> |
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A. Command of USS Flusser and Torpedo Flotilla |
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1. Escorting General Funston's Army |
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2. Transporting American refugees |
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B. Duty at Naval Training Station, Newport, RI |
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1. Assistant Umpire for Navy Department Strategic Maneuver No. 2 |
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2. Course at Naval War College |
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C. Service in Europe |
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1. USS Birmingham |
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2. Aide on the Staff of Commander, US Naval Forces in European Waters |
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=== Post-World War I Assignments (1918-1921) === |
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On 1 August 1917, he reached London, England, on orders to the staff of Admiral Sims, who was in command of the US Naval Forces operating in European waters. In July 1918 he had special additional duty at Southampton, England, investigating conditions aboard the Nopatin, Charles, Yale and Narraganset, small ex-coastal steamers which had been assigned to transporting Allied personnel across the English Channel. He received a Special Letter of Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for valuable and meritorious service "as Aide on the Staff of Commander, US Naval Forces in European Waters."<ref name=":0" /> |
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A. Duty in London, England |
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1. Special additional duty at Southampton |
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B. Instruction at Hoboken, NJ |
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1. Training merchant captains for Navy commission |
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C. Command of USS Sigourney |
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1. Overhaul at Boston Navy Yard |
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2. Command of Destroyer Division SIX |
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=== Later Career and Retirement (1921-1945) === |
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Upon his return to the United States from London, he was ordered to report to Commander Cruiser-Transport Force, at Hoboken, New Jersey. There for a month he instructed merchant captains who were to be commissioned in the Navy for command of certain vessels assigned the task of bringing our troops home from France. He then proceeded to the Boston Navy Yard, to command the USS Sigourney, which was completing major overhaul, and assumed command of that vessel, with additional duty in command of Destroyer Division SIX. About a year later that division was decommissioned and all personnel transferred to Destroyer Division TWENTY-SIX, USS Alden flagship. In February 1920 part of that division, destroyers Alden, Long and Smith Thompson, left Philadelphia, the Alden going to Constantinople, the other two to the Adriatic. Their Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean duty completed a year later, they joined the three other ships of their division in Manila, Philippine Islands.<ref name=":0" /> |
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A. Command of USS Tallahassee |
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B. Naval Inspector of Ordnance, Homestead Steel Works |
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While on this Near East assignment, Captain Ancrum was ordered back to Constantinople from the Adriatic command to assist in handling the 130,000 White Russians who retreated from the Crimea (in about 120 vessels of all types) when the Bolsheviks suddenly took it over, via the ice, after an unexpected freeze. The Alden took aboard 982 fully equipped troops, an almost inconceivable number for so small a ship, landing them four of five miles up the Golden Horn, then backed the full distance to avoid making an 180° turn against a 6-knot tide in such narrow waters. He was then ordered to Cattaro Bay, Montenegro, to arrive in advance of these refugees, the first contingent of 20,000 which the Jugo-Slavs had agreed to care for.<ref name=":0" /> |
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C. Executive Officer of USS Utah |
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D. Command of USS Mercy |
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For outstanding service in the Adriatic - Venice, Pola and Split - he was awarded the Italian decoration Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus by the Government of Italy.<ref name=":0" /> |
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E. Naval War College |
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F. Captain of the Yard at Charleston Navy Yard |
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After his arrival in San Francisco in April 1921, Captain Ancrum was ordered to assume command of USS Tallahassee at Charleston, South Carolina. Detached a month later, he was named Naval Inspector of Ordnance, Homestead Steel Works, Munhall District, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From December 1923 to May 1925 he served as Executive Officer of USS Utah, which took a diplomatic mission, of which General Pershing (with rank of Ambassador) was Head, around South America, primarily to attend the Lima, Peru, celebration in commemoration of the Battle of Ayacucho.<ref name=":0" /> |
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G. Commanding Officer of USS Whitney |
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H. Marine Superintendent, Canal Zone |
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Captain Ancrum next commanded a regiment - one battalion from each of the battleships comprising Battleship Division TWO, Scouting Fleet, of which the New York was a unit, from May to August 1925. These men were sent ashore at the Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, Virginia, to make room for the Naval Academy's Midshipmen for the annual summer cruise. He commanded USS Mercy, hospital ship, from September of that year until June 1926, and for a year thereafter was a student at the Naval War College, attending the Senior Course.<ref name=":0" /> |
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I. Command of USS Colorado |
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J. Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant, Fifth Naval District |
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Reporting to Headquarters, Sixth Naval District, Charleston, South Carolina, on 22 June 1927, he served for two years as Captain of the Yard at the Charleston Navy Yard. He was then ordered to duty afloat, and for two years was Commanding Officer of USS Whitney, destroyer tender of the Scouting Fleet. On 29 July 1931, he reported as Marine Superintendent, Canal Zone. During his tour of duty, ending 21 October 1934, there occurred a slide in Gaillard Cut which stopped all transits for two days. Also, for the first time, the entire US Fleet made a continuous transit, requiring about two days, during which all other vessels were denied transit.<ref name=":0" /> |
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K. Retirement and Recall to Active Duty |
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L. Service as Port Director, Sixth Naval District |
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Captain Ancrum assumed command of USS Colorado, a unit of Battleship Division FOUR, Battle Force, on 4 December 1934. He was detached on 15 February 1936, and on 30 March reported to Headquarters, Fifth Naval District, Norfolk, Virginia, where he served for two years as Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant. He was relieved of all active duty and retired, after 40 years of Naval service, on 1 September 1938. Under orders of May 1941 he was recalled to active duty shortly before the United States entered the second World War, and served in active status as Port Director, Sixth Naval District, from 24 July 1941 through 12 March 1945. At his own request he was again relieved of all active duty.<ref name=":0" /> |
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M. Commendation for Outstanding Service |
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He received a Letter of Commendation, with Ribbon, from the Secretary of the Navy for outstanding service as Port Director from July 1941 to March 1945. The commendation states: "Displaying exceptional leadership and administrative ability, Captain Ancrum supervised the control of all merchant ships, the Armed Guard and communication liaison groups aboard these vessels, using the ports within the Sixth Naval District. In addition, serving as Convoy and Routing Officer, Sixth Naval District, he planned the routing of all merchant vessels, hospital ships and certain naval auxiliaries and handled his duties in a manner far above that normally expected..."<ref name=":0" /> |
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==Awards and Decorations== |
==Awards and Decorations== |
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Revision as of 01:44, 15 May 2024
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William Alexander Ancrum | |
|---|---|
 William A. Ancrum, III, USN | |
| Born | July 8, 1881 Rossdhu Plantation, Abbeville, SC, U.S. |
| Died | March 11, 1963 (aged 81) Rossdhu Plantation, Pawleys Island, SC, U.S. |
| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1903–1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
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| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy |
| Spouse(s) | Cora Nesbit Carrison |
| Children | 3, including William Alexander Ancrum IV, Margaret Carrison Ancrum Carleson |
| Relations | William Ancrum (2nd great-grandfather) Princess Xenia Andreevna Romanoff (niece) |
William Alexander Ancrum (July 8, 1881 – March 11, 1963) was a captain in the United States Navy who fought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in five separate wars during his career. He held numerous commands in the Navy in various capacities. He served directly with Admiral Sims and General Pershing. He was knighted by two separate European heads of state for his service.
Early life
William Alexander Ancrum III, of Camden, South Carolina, was born at the home of his maternal grandparents ("Rossdhu") in Abbeville, SC, on July 8, 1881, the oldest son of Planter and Civil War Veteran William Alexander Ancrum II and Anna Susan Calhoun. His grandfather, John Alfred Calhoun, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession, was the nephew of United States Vice President John C. Calhoun.[1] Young Ancrum was raised on both Redbank Plantation (owned by the Ancrums since the mid-18th century) and the family's residence on Fair Street that was built as a summer residence by his paternal great-grandfather, William Ancrum Jr. of Charleston in the late 1700s.[2] The latter was inspired by the Caribbean Georgian architecture he so admired in Jamaica while returning home to Charleston from Eton College.[3]
Of French Huguenot and Scottish descent, Ancrum came from a Charleston family that settled in Camden to better cultivate the rich swamps of the Wateree and avoid malaria. He was educated in the local Camden schools but maintained his connections to Charleston, eventually later becoming a member of the St. Cecilia Society.[4] A bright and disciplined young man, after completing school Ancrum was one of few to successfully secure a spot at the United States Naval Academy.
Career
Early Career (1903-1917)
Graduation and Initial Assignments
Ancrum graduated from the Naval Academy in February of 1903, and received his first assignment aboard the USS Wisconsin and USS Oregon. Duty on USS Chauncey 1. Patrolling Western Philippines 2. Operations against the Moros C. Service on USS Minnesota 1. Commissioning and world cruise D. Various Assignments 1. Navy Yard, Boston - USS Flusser 2. Norfolk Navy Yard - USS Kearsarge, USS Kentucky 3. Command of USS Warrington 4. Command of USS Jarvis
Mexican Campaign and World War I (1913-1918)
A. Command of USS Flusser and Torpedo Flotilla 1. Escorting General Funston's Army 2. Transporting American refugees B. Duty at Naval Training Station, Newport, RI 1. Assistant Umpire for Navy Department Strategic Maneuver No. 2 2. Course at Naval War College C. Service in Europe 1. USS Birmingham 2. Aide on the Staff of Commander, US Naval Forces in European Waters
Post-World War I Assignments (1918-1921)
A. Duty in London, England 1. Special additional duty at Southampton B. Instruction at Hoboken, NJ 1. Training merchant captains for Navy commission C. Command of USS Sigourney 1. Overhaul at Boston Navy Yard 2. Command of Destroyer Division SIX
Later Career and Retirement (1921-1945)
A. Command of USS Tallahassee B. Naval Inspector of Ordnance, Homestead Steel Works C. Executive Officer of USS Utah D. Command of USS Mercy E. Naval War College F. Captain of the Yard at Charleston Navy Yard G. Commanding Officer of USS Whitney H. Marine Superintendent, Canal Zone I. Command of USS Colorado J. Chief of Staff and Aide to the Commandant, Fifth Naval District K. Retirement and Recall to Active Duty L. Service as Port Director, Sixth Naval District M. Commendation for Outstanding Service
Awards and Decorations
In addition to the Commendation Ribbon, Captain Ancrum had the Spanish Campaign Medal; the Philippine Campaign Medal; Mexican Campaign Medal; World War I Victory Medal; American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; and the World War II Victory Medal. He had also been awarded the Order of the Crown of Belgium by King Albert of Belgium, in October 1918; and held the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, from the Government of Italy. He was a veteran of five wars.[5]
Personal life
He married Cora Nesbit Carrison of Camden, South Carolina. They had two children who survived infancy: William Alexander Ancrum IV, a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, and Margaret Carrison Ancrum, who married Gen. Roger Trask Carleson, United States Marine Corps.
References
- ^ Salley, A. S. (1906). The Calhoun Family of South Carolina. United States: (p. 26).
- ^ Letter, 1776 Mar. 20, William Ancrum to Marlow Pryor; 1776 Mar. 23, William Ancrum to Marlow Pryor. "William Ancrum Letter Book and Account Book". https://digital.library.sc.edu/collections/william-ancrum-papers-1757-1789-letter-book-and-account-book/
- ^ Brunson, Charlotte Boykin Salmond. (1978). Kershaw County Cousins. United States: (p. 102).
- ^ Ancrum Family Letterbook. Letter To Harriet Roswell Ancrum from William A. Ancrum. Dated 1946.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
This article incorporates public domain material from Captain William Ancum. Naval History and Heritage Command.
List of people from South Carolina