Augustus Willington Shelton Agar

Captain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar, V.C., D.S.O. (4 January, 1890 – 30 December, 1968) served in the Royal Navy. For much of his career, at least through January 1921, he appears to have gone by the Christian name "Augustine".

For a man who would deliver such personal fortitude in action, his evaluations as a young sailor during the Great War are amongst the most uniformly abysmal to be found.

Life & Career

Born in Kandy, Ceylon, the thirteenth child of J. S. Agar, a tea planter. Agar entered Britannia in May, 1905 after schooling at Framlingham College and Eastman's Naval Academy. In March 1905 he passed 12th in order of merit out of 36 successful candidates at the competitive examination for Naval Cadetships. Accordingly on 15 May he joined the Britannia at Dartmouth, Devon as a Naval Cadet. He spent one term there before the establishment closed in July, and joined the cruiser Highflyer to spend the next two terms at Bermuda. The fourth and final term was spent at sea in the cruiser Isis. Not unsurprisingly he recalled:

A large part of this period was spent in the dockyard at Bermuda where we had classrooms for our work. There were games on shore, sailing, boating, picnics on those wonderful sandy beaches and the most generous hospitality from the Bermudians. We were extremely lucky.

He gained two months' sea time on passing out in September 1906, and placed 34th out of 41 cadets. He took a third class in the Part I examination, and second classes in Seamanship and Gunnery, and Navigation and Steam. He did take the second prize in Divinity, however.

He was appointed to the battleship Prince of Wales on the Mediterranean Station on 15 September, the same day that he was rated Midshipman. Captain Reginald G. O. Tupper reported in June 1907 that Agar was "Very promising." On 12 August he and the crew of the Prince of Wales appear to have turned over to the Venerable on the same station, which later became part of the Channel Fleet. Captain William B. Fawckner, who had succeeded Tupper, reported in January 1908 that Agar had "Zeal & physique good. Good Boat midshipman." In March 1909 he wrote "Zealous. A good Boat sailor. Good physique." He transferred to the Implacable on 2 February 1909, again with the rest of his crew, before joining the Queen in the Atlantic Fleet in April. At the end of the year Captain David Beatty noted "A capable and improving Officer." Agar later wrote "I served in four ships as a midshipman between 1906 and 1910 and loved every one of them, but my happiest time was spent in the Queen under David Beatty". On 15 January Agar passed in Seamanship with a first class certificate, "the only one I ever obtained", with 969 out of 1,000 marks. He was promoted Acting Sub-Lieutenant from that date, and the next day left for Portsmouth to start courses for the rank of Lieutenant. In January he was one of 46 candidates who took the Part I. examination, and one of the 27 who were selected to take the Part II. examination later. In March he took a second class in Torpedo (150 out of 200 marks), in April a second class in Pilotage (774 out of 1,000 marks), and in September a second class in Gunnery (749 out of 1,000 marks). He had worked hard for a first in Pilotage but missed out, while in Gunnery "To my surprise I passed easily with a Second Class." He then moved on to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich for Part II., where he passed in March 1911 with a second class certificate.

At some point he served in H.M. Torpedo Boat 33, and on 18 April 1911 he was appointed to Blake for the destroyer Ruby. In April 1912 he was granted two weeks' leave after suffering from cystitis, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June and reappointed. After Captain Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt's inspection in April 1913, "Attention drawn to excessive wine bill of Lt Agar." On 17 May he was appointed to President for a course at the Central Flying School. His valedictory report from Lieutenant and Commander Lawrie read "Capable when he tries but at times shows lack of interest." Agar qualified as a pilot on a Short Biplane on 25 June, receiving Royal Aero Club Pilot's Certificate No. 533. In August he was noted as "Failed to qualify as pilot of Flying Wing. To be appointed to Sea Service." By his own account he had written off three aircraft. An appointment to the Hardy was cancelled, as was one as First Lieutenant of the Hecla, and on 29 August he was appointed to the battleship battleship Hibernia in the Third Battle Squadron.

First World War

The Hibernia served with the Grand Fleet and the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron at the Dardanelles. In early 1915 the Director of Air Department applied for his transfer to the Royal Naval Air Service, but it was decided that Agar's services could not be spared. In February 1916 his own application for the R.N.A.S. was noted. In May Captain Vernon H. S. Haggard of Hibernia evaluated Agar as "slight knowledge of French. Clever but unreliable, apt to do foolish things, deaf in a ear." On giving up command in November Haggard again recorded, "Clever but unreliable." On 27 November Agar's application for appointment to Torpedo Craft was noted at the Admiralty. On 4 March 1917 he was appointed to the old light cruiser Iphigenia for service in North Russia. In May he applied for service in airships. His commanding officer, Lieutenant-Commander George H. I. Parker, recommended him, writing "this officer is of the type and physique that is likely to be successful in the Air Dept. Holds a pilot certificate for aeroplanes".

In January 1918, Lieutenant-Commander Parker wrote that Agar was "Hardworking at times but spasmodic. Has on several occasions shown a lamentable want of tact when most needed. Of violent temper & somewhat conceited but has good knowledge at the bottom. Will do better when he gets a little older." Iphigenia paid off in February 1918. By his account he was told by the Second Sea Lord's office that because of his service in North Russia "I had been selected to do a special course at the Gunwharf at Portsmouth preparatory to taking part in a secret operation". Accordingly from 15 February to 2 May he was appointed to Vernon for a short course in the Mining School. On 3 May he was appointed to Pembroke as Mining Officer at Osea Island in the Blackwater river estuary on the East coast of Essex.

Interwar

On 17 June, 1919, Agar led two Coastal Motor Boats in infiltrating Kronstadt harbour to attack Bolshevik naval assets. When mechanical difficulties afflicted one of the boats, Agar continued his mission in C.M.B. 4 and succeeded in torpedoing and sinking the protected cruiser Oleg despite suffering a motor breakdown that obliged him to stop at a breakwater to effect repairs for fully twenty minutes while in clear view of the enemy. Agar was awarded the Victoria Cross for his audacious success. For his part in an attack on Kronstadt on 18 August he was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order. He was invested with both honours at Buckingham Palace on 9 October.

In the first half of 1920 Agar volunteered for service under the New Zealand government, having asked whether the new commodore on the station, Alan G. Hotham (one of his Lieutenants in the Isis at Bermuda), whether he would take him. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander automatically on 30 June after eight years as a Lieutenant. On 20 July he married Mary Petre, Baroness Furnivall, in what he called "a 'Society' affair": the two were married in Westminster Cathedral. The Bishop of Brentwood officiated. The First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Beatty, signed the register. Captain Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming also attended. On 1 September the groom was appointed to the Chatham, with his wife following later.

Agar was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1925, having obtained the Royal Yachts' recommendation for promotion. Rear-Admiral Sir Henry T. Buller wrote, "Shd do well in higher ranks."

Agar was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1933.

Admiral Sir Edward R. G. R. Evans noted in 1939:

This Officer has only been under my command in harbour & although I have done my best to assess him, it is rather on my knowledge of him during my career, when I have seen him & his work, that I have done so. He is definitely impulsive, but a good leader & has moral courage. Rather inclined to be dramatic but has plenty of character & takes correction & advice well.

According to his service record, in 1939 he applied to retire and then withdrew the application. He makes no mention of the incident in his memoirs.

Second World War

Rear-Admiral Lancelot E. Holland wrote of him in 1940:

An officer with rather an unusual temperament. He is at his best in war time and is always eager to take on any enterprise or hard work. Inclined to be obstinate but I have always found him to be most loyal and helpful.

On 25 July he was appointed temporarily in command of Malcolm and Captain (D) of the Sixteenth Destroyer Flotilla, vice Halsey. He was superseded the following month and appointed to the Admiralty in August. By his own account this work comprised a committee on black out arrangements and a planning committee under Rear-Admiral Ion B. B. Tower examining defence against invasion of the United Kingdom and Singapore. He was then appointed in charge of Operation Lucid, a plan to destroy invasion barges in German-occupied French ports. The operation was postponed a number of times in September and October before being cancelled. He later lamented that it had "lost me my place in the queue of Captains waiting for regular sea-commands, so I was again available for odd jobs that came along". This is borne out by the fact that his appointment to command the battleship Ramillies on 26 September was cancelled.

On 25 November he was appointed Chief Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral, Coastal Forces. On 27 July 1941 Rear-Admiral Piers K. Kekewich wrote on Agars leaving the command:

This officer has worked for some eight months with me & he has thrown all his energies into that work. He is essentially a man of action & as such he has undoubtedly found serving under a retired Officer with an R.N.V.R. staff to be trying. He has the gift of a vivid imagination; but the ideas sometimes come so quick that he does not have time to put them all into operation. He has the highest ideal, but sometimes fails to temper them with a realisation of the practical possibility. He has a great personal charm, & a manner so courteous that those who do not understand him may think him unsociable. His right place is on the Bridge of one of H.M. Ships seeking the enemy, and it is there that his great potentialities will find their fullest scope. (I have shown this report to Captain Agar).

He was given command of the heavy cruiser Dorsetshire on 8 August. Agar was mentioned in despatches on 8 April 1942 for good services when Dorsetshire and Cornwall were sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Indian Ocean. On 11 June Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey S. Arbuthnot, Commander-in-Chief East Indies, wrote:

Agar is an enthusiast, gifted with his pen, well read, artistic. Most definitely not cast in the usual mould of Naval Officer, without serious disparagement I should describe him as slightly eccentric. In an emergency an outstanding leader of men, but in every day affairs his seniors note the slightly eccentric streak in his make-up and it is this which makes it difficult for them to place entire reliance in him. He had a good ship in DORSETSHIRE. Age & responsibility should bring out the best in this gallant officer.

In October Admiral Sir James F. Somerville reported:

I did not have opportunity, during the short period this Officer was under my orders, to assess his qualities under Section II. His gallantry and determination are unquestionable but he appears to me to be very highly strung, rather temperamental and inclined to be erratic. I shall require more experience of this officer before I could recommend him as being fit for Flag Rank.

He had returned home in May and in July he was appointed to Belfast for command of the aircraft carrier Unicorn then under construction at Harland and Wolff. However, on 16 December he was appointed to President for Special Service, essentially unemployed but on Full Pay, and on 12 January 1943 he was placed on the Retired List. Agar himself recalled:

In the Navy we call this "swallowing the anchor"; amongst the lower deck ratings they call it "swallowing the hook", when they go ashore for a "full-due." Sooner or later it has to come to us all. I am not all that ambitious so had no regrets. I have had a good innings, saw much, made many real friends, and was spared a great deal of worry and hardship which others suffered. It would have been nice to have had one more sea command before the War ended, but I could not complain about that.

John R. Bullen has written in Agar's Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry that "his divorce may have led to prejudice in certain quarters", implying that he was not promoted because of this and providing no evidence whatsoever to support the claim. It is clear from his service records and his own memoirs that his undoubted courage to one side, he had suffered much physically over the years and that Captain was likely a natural ceiling for him in the Service. That there was no prejudice against him is clear from the fact that on 5 May he was appointed to the dual positions of Captain and President of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, the latter usually held by a Flag Officer, and given the rank of Commodore, Second Class. He recalled:

I will always be grateful to A.V.A. (now Lord Hillsborough) for giving me this, as the next best thing to a sea command afloat. It meant, besides many other things, that Ina was able to share it with me, as the appointment carried with it a charming official house; added to which I have always loved the historical setting, atmosphere and beauty of that lovely place.

He retained his command until 30 September 1946. He was allowed to keep the rank of Commodore when he contested Greenwich for the Conservative Party in the 1945 General Election. The Labour Party gained the seat with a majority of 10,498: 22,078 votes to Agar's 11,580.

Retirement

Agar died on 30 December 1968 aged 78. Ina Agar died on 3 December 1992.

Bibliography

• Obituary. The Times of London Wednesday, Jan 01, 1969; pg. 10; Issue 57447.
• Agar, Captain Augustus, V.C., R.N. (1959). Footprints in the Sea. London: Evans Brothers Limited (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• Bullen, John R. "Agar, Augustus Willington Shelton (1890–1968), naval officer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004; Accessed 22 Jan. 2024.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/144/626.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/127/294.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/92/156.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/52/316.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Ralph Kerr	Captain of H.M.S. Witch 22 Apr, 1926 – 1927	Succeeded by Eric P. Vivian
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Scarborough 30 Sep, 1930	Succeeded by The Hon. Oswald W. Cornwallis
Preceded by Charles E. S. Farrant	Captain of H.M.S. Curlew 9 Jan, 1936 – 14 Oct, 1936	Succeeded by Russell H. McBean
Preceded by Tom O. Bulteel	Captain of H.M.S. Emerald 15 Jan, 1937 – 1 Jun, 1940	Succeeded by Francis C. Flynn
Preceded by Thomas E. Halsey	Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm 25 Jun, 1940 – 13 Jul, 1940	Succeeded by Thomas E. Halsey
Preceded by George F. Stevens-Guille	Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla 25 Jun, 1940 – 13 Jul, 1940	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Benjamin C. S. Martin	Captain of H.M.S. Dorsetshire Aug, 1941 – 5 Apr, 1942	Succeeded by Vessel Lost