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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 58) | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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]