Andrew Graham Gilchrist (1910-1993)

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Type of entity

Person

Authorized form of name

Andrew Graham Gilchrist (1910-1993)

Parallel form(s) of name

  • sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist (1910-1993)

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Description area

Dates of existence

18.4.1910 - 6.3.1993

History

Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist, KCMG (1910–1993) was a Special Operations Executive operative and later a U.K. Ambassador. After his next posting was to Chicago as Consul General, he became the Ambassador to Djakarta, Indonesia (1962–1966). His time there saw an attack on the British embassy, and the torching of his official car. During the crisis of Communist 30 September Movement, the Military Attache to the Embassy; Lt Colonel Bill Becke and Major Rory Walker paraded in front of the rioters, the latter playing the bagpipes, which pacified the unruly mob. The mob returned two days later and broke through the fence, setting the embassy alight, during the attack Gilchrist, Walker and Becke stood their ground and defended the strong room.

Britain was at the time strongly in favour of finding almost any means to help Indonesian opponents of the communist of Communist Party of Indonesia regime, helpful local propaganda certainly being one of them. Gilchrist reported to London that he had always believed that "more than a little shooting" would be necessary to bring about a change of regime. This turned out to be true as the US-backed regime led by Suharto took power by force of arms in 1965 and Indonesia endured a civil war in the months that followed.

Gilchrist received a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1956, and was knighted via Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1964. He continued his career with postings to Iceland and Germany. In 1956 he was appointed British Ambassador to Reykjavik, Iceland. His time there included the First Cod War between the two countries. Anecdotes suggest that while the countries were threatening battle, he went fishing with an Icelandic minister.

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Functions, occupations and activities

Sendiherra Breta á Íslandi í Þorskastríðinu

Mandates/sources of authority

He later wrote a book about his time in Reykjavik entitled 'Cod Wars and How to Lose Them'.

Internal structures/genealogy

Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist. Born in Lesmahagow on 18.4.1910 to sir James Graham Gilchrist (1866) and Jean Ann Hepburn (1884-1947). He passed away on 6.3.1993 in Edinburgh.
Sir Andrew Graham Gilchrist KCMG (19 April 1910 – 6 March 1993) was a British Special Operations Executive operative who later served as the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Ireland, Indonesia, and Iceland during the Cold War.

Andrew Graham married 1946 Freda Grace Slack f. 12.7.1908 – 1988 and had 3 children. Foreldrar hennar voru Alfred George Slack (1873-1944) og Mercy McIntyre (1880-1961).
Börn þeirra: Janet (1947), Christopher (1948) and Jeremy (1951).

General context

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Authority record identifier

HAH02291

Institution identifier

IS HAH

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Final

Level of detail

Full

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

GPJ 6.9.2017

Language(s)

  • Icelandic

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Sources

Wikipedia
®GPJ ættfræði

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