Robert Archibald James
Montgomerie was born at Rothesay, Isle of Bute, on 11 September 1855.
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HMS Immortalité
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In 1872 he was appointed Sub-Lieutenant in the screw-frigate HMS Immortalité , part of a detached squadron under Admiral Lambert. The London Gazette of 19 June 1877, takes up the story:
At
3.10 on the morning of the 6th April, 1877, the Immortalité,
being under all plain sail, moving 4½ knots with the wind, two
points abaft the starboard beam, the port gangway look-out reported a
man overboard, who proved to be Thomas Hocken. Mr Montgomerie, who was
on the bridge, working a star meridian altitude at the chart table,
on hearing the cry, ran over to the lee side, saw the man in the
water, and jumped after him. He made for Hocken, asking if he could
swim, to which Hocken answered "Yes, sir," but did not seem
to be moving vigorously. Mr Montgomerie then got hold of him, hauled
him on his back, and towed him to where he supposed the life-buoy
would be, but seeing no relief, he told Hocken to keep himself a
float while he took his clothes off. While he was in the act of doing
so, Hocken, evidently sinking, caught hold of him by the legs, and
dragged him down a considerable depth. Mr Mongomerie, however,
succeeded in getting clear, and swam to the surface, bringing the
drowning man with him. Hocken was now insensible, and too great a
weight to support any longer, and finding that his only chance of
saving himself was to leave Hocken, Mr Montgomerie reluctantly gave
up the hope of saving him, and struck out for the ship. In the
meantime the ship's course was stopped, and two boats were lowered,
by one of which Mr Montgomerie was picked up. The latitudes in which
the occurrence took place abound with sharks; and though there was a
half-moon, the sea was sufficiently disturbed to render small
objects, even boats, difficult to discern. Had not Mr. Montgomerie
been a most powerful swimmer, he would have had little chance of
life.
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Albert Medal (Sea),
2nd Class |
For this action, Montgomerie was awarded the Albert Medal (Sea), Second Class, the Silver Medal of the Royal Humane Society and, later, the RHS's Stanhope Medal for the most gallant rescue during the year.
In 1878 he was promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant on the Royal Yacht
Victoria and Albert;
Commander in 1887 and Captain in 1894. He was given command
of the cruiser HMS
Bonaventure in 1898, the battleship
Prince George in October, 1900 and
the cruiser
Charybdis in
1901.
He
was promoted Rear-Admiral in 1905, commanding Torpedo Boat and
Submarine Craft Flotillas. In 1907 he became Rear-Admiral (D) in the
Channel Fleet. He resigned in January 1908 following a dispute with
the Admiralty over fuel allowances for training.
In 1886 he married
Aletha Marian Charrington, daughter of Spencer Charrington MP. They
had one son, Maj Victor Robert Montgomerie Charrington OBE of the
Life Guards. Admiral Montgomerie died on 1
September 1908.
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Memorial to Admiral Montgomerie in Hundson Parish
Church, Hundson, Herts
Made from the oak and gunmetal of HMS Caledonia, built in
1802 and one of the Training Ships under his command 1904-5 |
Medals
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| Stanhope Medal |
Order of the Bath - Commander (CB), 1892
Order of St Michael and St George - Commander (CMG), 1904
Royal Victorian Order - Commander (CVO), 1907
Albert Medal (Sea), 2nd Class, 1877
Egypt Medal (1882-89)
Khedive's Star (1882)
Royal Humane Society Silver Medal, 1877
Royal Humane Society Stanhope Medal, 1877
