Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• Mahdist War 1881-1899, Sudan.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
• The Second World War 1939-1945, World-wide.

Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.

Detail :

Awarded The Victoria Cross, London Gazette 26 February 1899 for his actions at The Battle of Gedaref on 22nd September, 1898.

"28 February 1899 – Captain the Honourable A.G. A. Hore-Ruthven, 3rd Battalion, Highland Light Infantry

The Queen has been graciously pleased to signify Her intention to confer the decoration of the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officer, whose claims have been submitted for Her Majesty's approval, for his conspicuous bravery during the attack on the Baggage Guard at the action of Gedarif on the 22nd September 1898, as recorded against his name: On the 22nd September 1898, Captain Hore-Ruthven, seeing an Egyptian officer lying wounded within 50 yards of the advancing Dervishes, who were firing and charging, picked him up and carried him towards the 16th Egyptian Battalion. He dropped the wounded officer two or three times and fired upon the Dervishes, who were following, to check their advance. Had the officer been left where he first dropped, he must have been killed "

Masonic :

"During his service with the Highland Light Infantry, Lieutenant Alexander Hore-Ruthven was Initiated into Freemasonry, on 15 March 1893, into Saint Andrew Military Lodge, Number 668 of the Scottish Constitution, meeting at Hamilton in Lanarkshire. He appears to have been Passed a week later, and we do know he was Raised on 19th April, 1894.

He then became a Joining Member of Hamilton Lodge, Number 223, Scottish Constitution, again meeting at Hamilton, but the exact date is unknown. Whilst serving in the Sudan, he became a Founder Member and first secretary of Khartoum Lodge, Number 2877, at Khartoum, in February 1902. Whoever reported the Consecration was suffering from the heat, because, in the list of officers was, 'The Hon. A. Hore-Ruthven, Secretary' and 'Stack, Senior Deacon'. Thus the future Governor General of Australia had no army rank, nor mention of his Victoria Cross; and the future Governor of the Sudan, Sir Lee Stack, KBE, CMG, District Grand Master, for Egypt and The Sudan, did even rate an initial! Sir Lee stack, alas, was assassinated in a Cairo street in 1924. Brother Hore-Ruthven was also a Founder Member of the Sir Reginald Wingate Lodge, Number 2954 of the English Constitution at Khartoum, consecrated in 1903.

Whilst in Australia, on 27 September 1928, he joined the United Services Lodge, Number 37 of the south Australian Constitution, in Adelaide. He became Senior Warden of the Lodge on Anzac Day, 25 April 1929, and appropriately for an old soldier, he was Installed as Worshipful Master on Anzac Day 1930. Ten days earlier, on 15 April 1930, he had been Installed as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of south Australia. Thus in his first year as Grand Master, he also had the duties of Governor of the State of South Australia, and Worshipful Master of the Lodge. He must have been a man of great stamina to have carried out such an intense programme.

Not long after moving to New South Wales, the Most Worshipful Brother, The Lord Gowrie joined the Army and Navy Lodge, Number 517, and was installed Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales in the Sydney Town Hall on 23 July 1935. In that capacity he was a visitor at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania in 1937.

Three Lodges have been named in his honour: the Hore-Ruthven Lodge, Number 115, of the South Australian Constitution, meeting at Woodside, South Australia; The Gowrie Lodge, Number 615, New South Wales Constitution, meeting at Croydon, New South Wales; and the Gowrie of Canberra Lodge, Number 715, New South Wales Constitution, meeting in the Australian Capital Territory of Canberra."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley