Norman R. Hitchcock, US Naval Attache, London 1939 - 1941
Brings His Afghan Hound To England
(By Steve Tillotson 2014, updated 2015)
Sirdar" (Khan Of Kuhsan)
AHT (Steve) note February 2015
I originally published this page about the Hitchcocks afghan hound in October 2014. At that time, all the information I really had was a press cutting from 1935 mentioning "Sirdar", the Hitchcocks afghan hound and some research I had undertaken about the Naval Attache Mr N R Hitchcock To my surprise and great pleasure, I was contacted by Mr N R Hitchcocks Grandson in February - E.S "Ted" Turner who kindly provided photos of Sirdar and also shared some candid family photographs. Apperently E.S. (Ted) Turner was doing some Internet research into his family and the search results threw up this page.
Another amazing coincidence is how we got the kennel name of Sirdar - In a different article I posted a while back on the Oakvardon kennels I included this entry -
"A snippet from the AKC Gazette - "American Kennel Club, - 1938 - Best of Winners— King Tut of Prides Hill, Mrs. J. Oakie. Dogs Puppy (6 and under 9 months) — 1, Khan of Kuhsan, Mrs. NR Hitchcock. Amer.-bred — 1, Iskandar of Kandahar, Mrs. J. Oakie. Limit— 1. King Tut of Prides Hill, Mrs. T. Oakie; 2 ."
Ted is an excellent researcher and on finding my site he used the AHT "search" facility using the word Hitchcock as the search key. This listed the Oakvardon page with the above snippet on it. The significance is that this AKC snippet confirms the registered name of Sirdar (Khan Of Kuhsan) and the name of his owner (Mrs N R Hitchcock). It was an amazing fluke that I included that AKC Gazette line on the Oakvardon page and Ted found it. So with all the new informathon, I have entirely re-worked this page about Sirdar (Kahn Of Kuhsan) and Mr Mrs N R Hitchock
It is very rewarding when we write about someone and their dogs, (people and dogs that we don't know, so we write purely from our research findings), and then, later , a family member contacts us (This ocured last year with the contact via John Bloor of William Barff. Our contact in this case is E.S. (Ted) Hitchock. His mother Amy Hitchcock is 86 years young and we include a photo of Amy as a little girl in 1939/40 playing in the garden with Sirdar. We are so fortunate to have the Ted contact and also his mother Amy and able to ask them questions about their Afghan hound. Neither Ted ot Amy could remember the AKC registeredl name of Sirdar, so that link in the Oakvardon article was remarkably fortuitous..
Also, the photos we now have of Khan of Kuhsan are the only photos we have of hounds bred by R W Samson of Kuhsan afghan hounds, Redwood City, California, USA. So our great thanks to Ted Turner.
1. THE FIRST AFGHAN HOUND TO TRAVEL FROM AMERICA TO ENGLAND?
We found the press cuttings below which confirm that Mr Hitchcock was assigned as USA Naval Attache to London, England and he and his wife also brought their Afghan hound with them.
What is historically significant about this find is that the Hitchcock's Afghan hound is likely the first ever Afghan hound to travel from America to England. We can't call him the first import because the Afghan didn't stay in the UK, he returned to the USA when Mrs Hitchcock returned home.
In the meanwhile, here's the interesting story surrounding the visit by the Hitchcocks to England
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2. MINI BIO ON THE HITCHCOCKS
Mr Hitchcock was born in Ohio on 15/7/1896 and he died in Naples Florida on 22/6/1978 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, USA. Plot: Section 11, Site 701-1. His wife, Louise Hitchcock McMahon (1899 - 1991) is buried in the same plot, alongside her husband at Arlington.
Photo of N R Hitchcock and Louise Hitchcock before they were married |
Mr Hitchcock was appointed to the Naval Acadamy from the State of Illinois graduating with the class of 1920. After 6 years of sea duty mostly in the European station he went to Pensacola, Florida, for flight training and was designated Naval Aviator in 1926. He served on battleships and carriers until 1930 when he went to the Naval Acadamy as an instructor in ordinates & gunnery. Afterwards he went back to battleship and carriers until 1939 when was ordered to the American Embassy in London as assistant Naval attache and assistant Naval attache for Air where he served until 1941. On September 16, 1939 he was a guest for lunch aboard H.M.S. South Hampton at Scapa Flow, when the first attack by German aircraft was made in British territory on the Southampton. The Germans made one direct hit and many near misses. He returned to the United States the summer of 1941. After the United States entered the war he served in the South Pacific and later in the Moroccan Sea Frontier as Chief of Staff and Air Officer until 1945. He retired in 1947. He lived in Washington D.C. for 25 years where he was a member Metropolitan Club and Chevy Chase Club. He was also a member of the New York Yacht Club. In 1972 he moved to Naples where he became a member of the Naples Yacht Club. During his active duty he was awarded the Legion of Merit and Commander in the order of the British Empire. He is survived by his wife Louise Hitchcock of 1900 Golf Shore Blvd. North, Naples, Florida, 33940, one daughter, Mrs. Amy L. Hitchcock of Purcellville, Virginia and one grandson Edward S. Turner III of Columbus, Ohio
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3 THE REASON FOR THE HITCHCOCKS VISIT TO ENGLAND
Mr Hitchock was assigned as US Assistant Naval Attache at the American Embassy in London in 1939. Joseph Kennedy was the American ambassador, and Mr N R Hitchock was part of Mr Kenndys legation. As some readers may be aware. Mr Kennedy was not the most popular ambassador, particularly in view of his pro German/Fascist views. It is understood that Mr Kennedys ambassadorship ended earlier than one might normally have expected due to his unpopularity in the court of St James. However, that should not detract from the sterling work undertaken by Naval Attache N R Hitchock.
Joseph Kenndy and his team. Mr N R Hitchcock is sitting front row, far right. |
4. THE SINKING OF THE SS ATHENIA 1939
Just hours after England declared war on Germany, Sept 3, 1939 the 13,500-ton liner SS Athenia, chartered by the Cunard Line, and bound for Montreal with 1,418 passengers and crew was torpedoed, without warning, 250 miles northwest of Malin Head in the North Atlantic*. 112 passengers and crew were killed in the attack, 28 of them Americans sailing for home as war was declared in Europe. The following day the Norwegian vessel, Knute Nelson, was steaming towards Galway with 367 shocked and injured survivors, and asked that the city be prepared to receive them. Other survivors were picked up by British naval vessels and brought elsewhere for treatment, but in total 112 passengers and crew were killed in the attack, 28 of them Americans sailing for home as war was declared in Europe.
Captain Alan G. Kirk, U.S. Naval Attaché, and Commander Norman R. Hitchcock, Assistant Naval Attaché and Assistant Naval Attaché for Airn were flown to Galway, Ireland, where they interviewed Athenia's surviving officers and men. The attaché's investigation concludes that Athenia was torpedoed by a submarine. (Publicly, Germany will continue to deny responsibility for the sinking of Athenia until the post-war Nuremberg Trials bring the truth to light).
Submarine Type that sank the Athenia. |
The message for Galway to receive survivors was relayed through Malin Head radio which had already heard the distress signals from the Athenia, and witnessed the fearful drama at sea. Galway, initially stunned that it should be involved so soon in a rescue resulting from war at sea, reacted magnificently. The arrival of the survivors, which included the Athenia’s captain James Cook, created a huge stir in the town. Hundreds of people volunteered to help, while hundreds more watched the arrival of the Knute Nelson. Once everyone had learned that the ship was hit by a torpedo, there was unease and excitement in the realisation that despite declaring its neutrality, Ireland could not isolate itself from the conflict which would soon engulf most of Europe, and be waged in the ocean beside us. Hurriedly the hospital was put on full alert, two schools were emptied to act as reception centres, hotel rooms were booked. It was Race Week in Galway, but people gladly gave up their rooms.
Hurriedly the hospital was put on full alert, two schools were emptied to act as reception centres, hotel rooms were booked. It was Race Week in Galway, but people gladly gave up their rooms. Mayor Joe Costello, Bishop of Galway Dr Michael Browne, and Commandant Padraig O’Duinnin, OC of the Defence Forces 1st Infantry Battalion, and Garda Superintendent Tomás O’Coileáin co-ordinated the Galway response. At dawn on September 5 the Knute Nelson arrived at the docks where ‘expeditious and satisfactory arrangements were made for the disembarkation of passengers who were in a very distressed state ...Most of them only half clothed.’ In fact the tender that serviced large ships, under Capt Bill Goggin, had already met the survivors at sea, near Blackhead. On board were Dr Morris and a nursing team, who tended to the injured as they lay on the deck of the Knute Nelson, who then completed her voyage into Galway. On arrival, the Army Medical Corps took charge of 10 stretcher cases and the walking wounded, while Gardai and civilian volunteers supervised the distribution of food and clothing.
The arrival of the survivors, which included the Athenia’s captain James Cook, created a huge stir in the town. Hundreds of people volunteered to help, while hundreds more watched the arrival of the Knute Nelson. Once everyone had learned that the ship was hit by a torpedo, there was unease and excitement in the realisation that despite declaring its neutrality, Ireland could not isolate itself from the conflict which would soon engulf most of Europe, and be waged in the ocean beside them
Washington informed the Irish Government that the ‘United States was deeply appreciative of the hospitable assistance given to the American survivors of the SS Athenia in Galway’. The town had presented itself as a ‘model of efficient organisation,’ and it carried out its assistance in a ‘competent and sympathetic manner’.
The U-Boat type (type VIIA) is as per the photo above. U-30 was commisisoned in Bremen, Germany in 1936, at the time it was state of the art. U-30 was scuttled in 1945 in Kupfermühlen Bay,and the wreck broken up in 1948
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5. KHAN OF KUHSAN, PHOTOS, PEDIGREE
Khan Of Kuhsan
(Garrymhor Kishtwar x Garrymhor Khasa, born 6th April 1937) |
Khan Of Kuhsan playing in the garden at Englemeade Surrey, England 1939/1940 with Amy Hitchcock |
Khan Of Kuhsan playing in the snow 1939/1940  |
Pedigree of KHAN OF KUHSAN| Parents |
Grandparents |
Great-Grandparents |
Great-Great-Grandparents |
| Am Ch Garrymhor Kishtwar |
Tash Garift of Pushtikuh |
Ch Sirdar of Ghazni |
Parent Not Recorded |
| Parent Not Recorded |
| Rasti of Istalif |
Ch Sirdar of Ghazni |
| Shireen of Ghazni |
| Roshanara El Kabul |
Omar of Geufron |
Ch Sirdar of Ghazni |
| Mumti of Geufron |
| Rani of Ainsdart |
Ch Sirdar of Ghazni |
| Ku-Mari of Kaf |
| Am Ch Garrymhor Khasa |
Amanullah |
Ch Ashna of Ghazni |
Ch Sirdar of Ghazni |
| Shireen of Ghazni |
| Ch Alfreda |
Shahzada |
| Afroz |
| Hazada |
Kymn |
Khan of Ghazni |
| Zarifa of Ghazni |
| Ranee of Geufron |
Omar of Geufron |
| Cupra |
|
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Related Content
Kuhsan Kennels USA Lilliam Goodman/Steve Tillotson 2002/2012
Early Afghan Hound Section
Library Of Articles/Main Menu Toolbar
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