Lieutenant Archibald ALISON RN
HMS Danae Royal Navy

Date of birth: 5th November 1888
Date of death: 9th December 1967

Died aged 79
Unknown
Archibald Alison was born at 15 Sidney Square, Mile End Old Town on the 5th of November 1888 the eldest son of Sir Archibald Alison (3rd Bart), former Colonial Secretary of Bermuda and Lady Georgina Sarah Ann (nee Bond-Cabbell) Alison of Possil House in Wimbledon.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until December 1900 where he was a member of the 2nd Football XI in 1899. He went on to a special naval school and then to the Britannia Naval College where he was described as "Steady and well conducted, should do well. Promising, hardworking and reliable. A zealous young officer."

He was appointed as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy on the 15th of June 1905. He served on board the battleship HMS New Zealand from the 10th of July 1905 to the 9th of February 1907 He was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of August 1908 and, from the 21st of September 1909 to the 19th of March 1910, he attended an advanced course in Gunnery and Torpedoes at the Royal Naval College Greenwich. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 15th of November 1910. On the 27th of August 1913 he was posted as Navigator to the 960 ton sloop Alert, which was operating in the Persian Gulf, and on her paying off he joined the Royal Indian Marine ship Northbrook on the 17th of August 1914, which cooperated with the Royal Navy in various operations on the East Indies Station. He left her on the 21st of March 1917and was appointed as a Navigator of the 14,100 ton cruiser HMS Drake on the 12th of July 1917.

On the 2nd of October 1917 HMS Drake was sailing five miles off the Irish coast at Rathlin Island, having been escorting Convoy HH24, which had just dispersed. She was struck by a torpedo fired by the U Boat, U-79, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Otto Rohrbeck. The torpedo hit No. 2 Boiler Room which flooded along with two of her engines and killed eighteen of her crew. With his ship now listing, her Captain decided to head for Church Bay on Rathlin Island but collided with the merchant ship, SS Mendip Range before eventually dropping anchor. The surviving members of the crew were was taken off the ship before she capsized later that afternoon.

He was posted as Navigation Officer to the newly launched cruiser HMS Calypso on the 27th of November 1917, serving on her until the 21st of May 1918. From the 28th of May 1918 to the 26th of October 1919 he served as Navigation Officer on the light cruiser HMS Danae and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on the 15th of November 1918.

He was married to Isa Margery (nee Giles) at St Mary's Church in Wimbledon, on the January 18th 1919 after which he rejoined his ship for service in the Baltic. He became the 4th Baronet on the death of his father on the 7th of November 1921.

In 1925 he was posted for duty at Devonport Dockyard and was appointed as Executive Officer, for navigation duties, on board the cruiser HMS Champion on the March 7th 1927, and served with her until the July. In 1928 he was in command of the Admiralty Crane Lighter from Devonport to Singapore for which he received the thanks of the Admiralty. On the 3rd of April 1929 he was appointed as Naval Assistant to the Hydrographer HMS President, leaving in February 1931.
He was awarded the OBE in the King's Birthday Honours List of the 3rd of June 1930 and retired from the Navy at his own request on the 24th of June 1932 with the rank of Commander.

On the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined the Navy and from the 25th of August 1939 to February 1941 he served as Senior Liaison Officer, Fighter Command at RAF Headquarters. From later in 1941 until 1944 he served as Assistant King's Harbourmaster at Milford Haven and at Pembroke Dock (HMS Skirmisher). He reverted to the retired list in 1944. He was a member of the United Services Club.

His brother, Captain George Newdegate Alison 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders attached to the 10th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), was killed in action on the 1st of July 1916.

He died at Budleigh Salterton in Devon and was succeeded to the Barony by his brother Frederick.
Went on to Britannia Naval Coll

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