Calhoun Ancrum
Lt. Calhoun Ancrum, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Lt. Calhoun Ancrum and Princess Xenia Romanoff | |
| Born | April 28, 1915 Olongapo City, Philippines |
| Died | 1 February 1990 (aged 70) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Branch | United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS); U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross |
| Spouse(s) | Princess Xenia Andreevna of Russia |
| Relations | William Ancrum (4rd great-uncle) Princess Xenia Andreevna Romanoff (wife) |
Calhoun Ancrum, Jr. (April 28, 1915 – 1990) was an American intelligence officer, newspaper columnist, and Episcopal minister. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army during World War II (as his cover), notably as a multilingual operative for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Calhoun Ancrum Jr. was born on April 28, 1915, in Olongapo City, Zambales, Philippines, to Lieutenant Colonel Calhoun Ancrum of South Carolina and Dixie Belle (Quarles) Ancrum, whose father had been appointed Federal judge to the Hawaiian Islands.[2] His father was a career United States Marine Corps officer with deployments across Asia and the Caribbean. Calhoun Ancrum Jr. descended from prominent South Carolina families, including the Ancrum, Porcher, and Calhoun lineages, notably related to U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun.[3]
Ancrum graduated from Duke University, where he earned his undergraduate degree prior to joining military service.
Military service
[edit]During World War II, Ancrum was commissioned a Lieutenant in United States Army as cover for his distinguished service in the Office of Strategic Services, the wartime intelligence agency preceding the Central Intelligence Agency. Fluent in seven languages, Ancrum operated primarily out of England, conducting high-risk clandestine missions into Nazi-occupied territories. He frequently flew missions into Germany to deliver encrypted radio communications to resistance forces.[4]
His exceptional bravery in the line of duty earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. Army decoration awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in combat operations.[5]
A synopsis of his citation reads as follows:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to First Lieutenant (Infantry) Calhoun Ancrum, Jr., United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the Office of Strategic Services, in action against enemy forces from 1943 to 1945. Lieutenant Ancrum, a multilingual U.S. Intelligence Agent, was flown several times a week from England over Germany to convey instructions by radio to anti-Nazi Germans. His extraordinary heroism, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.[6]
Post-war life
[edit]In 1945, Ancrum married Princess Xenia Andreevna (Romanoff) of Russia, the daughter of Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia (24 January 1897 – 8 May 1981) and Donna Elisabetha Ruffo.[7] She was the granddaughter of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I, and the granddaughter of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, who was the eldest daughter of Tsar Alexander III and sister to Tsar Nicholas II. She was thus a grandniece and of Tsar Nicholas II and twice descended from the tsars of Russia.[8] They later divorced.
Following his military career, he established himself as a newspaper columnist and later devoted himself to religious service, becoming Assistant Rector at Boston's historic Old North Church.[9]
Ancrum died in 1990.
References
[edit]- ^ Fairbairn, T. (2021). The Mosquito in the USAAF: De Havilland's Wooden Wonder in American Service. United States: Pen & Sword Books.
- ^ https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ancrum-C-1904.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com [bare URL]
- ^ https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ancrum-C-1904.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com [bare URL]
- ^ Fairbairn, T. (2021). The Mosquito in the USAAF: De Havilland's Wooden Wonder in American Service. United States: Pen & Sword Books.
- ^ https://valor.defense.gov/Portals/24/Army%20DSC-%20WWII%20-%202020%2007%2002.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-6275/ [bare URL]
- ^ C. Arnold McNaughton, The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy, in 3 volumes (London, U.K.: Garnstone Press, 1973), volume 1, page 325. Hereinafter cited as The Book of Kings.
- ^ "Princess Xenia, of Russian Ancestry, Bride of Lieut. Calhoun Ancrum Jr. of U.S. Army" The New York Times, June 18, 1945
- ^ https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/sites/default/files/pdf_documents/library/document/0248/whpr19750417-010.pdf [bare URL PDF]
Sources
[edit]- Clemson Corps Biography: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/calhoun-ancrum/
- FamilySearch Genealogy Profile: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/9N5B-7PY/rev.-captain-calhoun-ancrum-jr.-1915-1990
- JSTOR Biography Reference: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23515891.pdf
- Clemson Alumni OSS Summary: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/calhoun-ancrum/
- OSS Medal Recipients: https://www.ossreborn.com/files/ossmedals.pdf
- U.S. Department of Defense Valor Records: https://valor.defense.gov/portals/24/documents/servicecross/armydsc-wwii.pdf
- Clemson Alumni Association Historical Records: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/calhoun-ancrum/
- Clemson Corps Biographical Summary: https://soh.alumni.clemson.edu/scroll/calhoun-ancrum/
- FamilySearch.org Death Records: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/9N5B-7PY/rev.-captain-calhoun-ancrum-jr.-1915-1990