• British Commanders
• Peerage of the United Kingdom

Date of birth:

January 7th, 1883 (Dublin, Ireland)

Date of death:

June 12th, 1963 (London, Great Britain)

Nationality:

British

Born to Scottish parents in Dublin, he entered "HMS Britannia" as a naval cadet in 1897, then served ashore in the Naval Brigade in South Africa. He commanded a destroyer in World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and two bars. Serving mainly in destroyers in the inter-war period, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in June 1939. After the outbreak of World War II he had success against the Italian Fleet at Calabria, Taranto and Matapan. He directed the evacuation of troops from Greece and Crete in April and May 1941, which was achieved without air cover. From April 1942 was head of the Naval Staff mission to Washington, DC. Promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in January 1943 and re-appointed as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1943, he worked closely with American General Dwight D. Eisenhower on the planning of the Allied landings in North Africa and later Sicily. In September 1943 he oversaw the surrender of the Italian Fleet. He was appointed First Sea Lord in October 1943, and attended the major conferences (Teheran, Yalta, Potsdam etc).

He retired from the Royal Navy in June 1946, and was created 1st Viscount of Hyndhope. Andrew Cunningham died suddenly following a meeting at the Admiralty on 12th June 1963. He was buried at sea off the Nab Tower, Portsmouth from H.M.S. Hampshire.

Promotions:
15th January, 1897: Naval Cadet
15th June, 1898: Midshipman
7th January, 1902: Sub-Lieutenant
31st March, 1904: Lieutenant
31st March, 1912: Lieutenant-Commander
30th June, 1915: Commander
31st December, 1919: Captain
24th September, 1932, Rear-Admiral
22th July, 1936: Vice-Admiral
1st June, 1939: Acting Admiral
3th January, 1941: Admiral
21st January, 1943: Admiral of the Fleet

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• Photo 1: Wikipedia
• Photo: wikipedia.org
  
• - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29507/supplement/2870/data.pdf
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31191/supplement/2558/data.pdf
  - The London Gazette Issue 35094 published on the 4 March 1941
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35342 published on the 7 November 1941
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35788 published on the 13 November 1942
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35877 published on the 22 January 1943
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35985 published on the 16 April 1943
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36188 published on the 24 September 1943
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36866 published on the 29 December 1944
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37598 published on the 4 June 1946
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 37931 published on the 11 April 1947
  - The London Gazette Issue 37995 published on the 24 June 1947
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 38132 published on the 21 November 1947
  - Royal Navy Flag Officers
  - National Maritime Museum
  - HMS Hood Association
  - Croix de Guerre (Belgium) 1914-18 - National Maritime Museum