Birth name | Patrick Munro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 9 October 1883 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Partick, Glasgow, Scotland [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 3 May 1942 | (aged 58)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Palace of Westminster, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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59th President of the Scottish Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 1939–1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | William Halliday Welsh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Harry Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Member of Parliament | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Incumbent | 1931–1942 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parliamentary group | Conservative Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Constituency | Llandaff and Barry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cause of death | Killed in action | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Jessie Margaret Munro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | Order of the Nile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Branch/service | Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | Private | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unit | Palace of Westminster Home Guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Battles/wars | Second World War | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patrick Munro (9 October 1883 – 3 May 1942), also known as Pat Munro, was a Scotland international rugby union player and later a British Conservative politician. [2]
He was educated at Leeds Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he held an Open History Scholarship and graduated with 2nd class Honours in History. He was also awarded a Half Blue for High Jump in 1906 and President of the Vincent's Club (the club for Oxford Blues) in 1906–1907. [3]
He played for Oxford University RFC. [4]
Munro was a Rugby Blue in 1903, [3] 1904, 1905 (and Captain in 1905).[ citation needed].
He also played for London Scottish FC. [4]
He played for the Whites Trial side against the Blues Trial side on 21 January 1911, while still with London Scottish. [5]
He was capped thirteen times for Scotland between 1905 and 1911, [2] [4] and was also a rugby international for Scotland in 1905, 1906, 1907 and 1911. Munro captained the team in 1907 and 1911. [2]
He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union for the period 1939 to 1942. [6]
He joined the Sudan Political Service in 1907, and was Governor of Darfur Province in 1923-1924 and Governor of Khartoum Province from 1925 to 1929. [3]
He was mentioned in dispatches in 1919 and awarded the Order of the Nile (3rd class) in 1929. [3] He was a Member of British Delegation to the Capitulations Conference in Montreux in 1937. [7]
He was Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Llandaff and Barry from 1931 until his death. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Capt. Euan Wallace when he was Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department in 1935 and then Secretary for Overseas Trade. Munro went on to be a Junior Government Whip in 1937, resigning in March 1942. [3]
He joined the government payroll as a Junior Lord of the Treasury later that year and served until his death. [8]
Munro, a private in the Home Guard, died on 3 May 1942 whilst taking part in a military exercise at Westminster. [9] [4] The exercise was a simulation of a landing by airborne troops in central London in tandem with fifth-column activities as a test of Home Guard defences. [10] As a member of the Palace of Westminster Home Guard, Munro was acting as a runner and was in the Liberal Whips' room with two company colleagues. It was there that he collapsed suddenly and died before he could be taken for aid. [3]
He is buried Cathedine (St. Michael) Churchyard in Brecknockshire under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. [9]
Munro was the fifth son of Patrick Munro [3] and Mary Helen Catherine Dormond. [11]
Munro was married in 1911 to Jessie Margaret Munro of Bwlch in Wales. [3] [9]