Sir Alexander Knox Helm (23 March 1893 – 7 March 1964) was a British

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

who served as ambassador to Turkey and was the last

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Early years

Born to W. H. Helm of

Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...

, Alexander Knox Helm was educated at

Dumfries Academy Dumfries Academy is one of four secondary schools in Dumfries in south west Scotland. It is a state funded secondary school for both girls and boys. The schools moto is "doctrina promovet" which translates from Latin to "learning promotes" which ...

and

King's College, Cambridge King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...

Career

In 1912, he passed the examination for what was then called second division clerkships and was appointed to the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

. He served as a member of the East Registry. A keen volunteer when

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out, he was allowed by the Foreign Office to join his field artillery unit, being promoted second lieutenant in 1917 and serving in that capacity in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. As a clerk, he performed only routine duties but distinguished himself through his diligence and retentive memory. When the war ended, he was selected under the special recruitment scheme for filling vacancies caused by the war and appointed to the

Levant Consular Service The Levant Consular Service was a specialized British diplomatic organization centered in the Levant. From 1877 to 1916, it trained 88 Britons in consular service. The diplomatic arm spanned from the Balkans to China, mainly centering around the Ot ...

. After a short period of training in Oriental languages at

, he went as Vice-Consul to Thessaloniki, and soon after became third

Dragoman A dragoman was an Interpreter (communication), interpreter, translator, and official guide between Turkish language, Turkish-, Arabic language, Arabic-, and Persian language, Persian-speaking countries and polity, polities of the Middle East and ...

at Constantinople. When the Turkish capital moved to Ankara and the office of Dragoman was abolished, Helm went there as Second Secretary. He served there as Consul, and in 1930 was transferred to the Foreign Office, working in the Eastern Department. In 1937 he was sent as Consul to Addis Ababa, and at the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

was moved to the British Embassy at Washington, D.C., where he handled the various complicated problems connected with the supply of petroleum to the United Kingdom. In 1942 he went back to Ankara (at that moment a key post) as Counsellor. Wwwm1027

In 1946 he was chosen to go as British representative to Hungary and when normal diplomatic relations were restored in 1947 he was made Minister there. In 1949 he was appointed the first British Chargé d'Affaires (later Minister) to Tel Aviv in the newly independent State of Israel, where he spent two happy and fruitful years; in 1951 he became Ambassador to Turkey. He left there in 1954, having reached retirement age, but went for a brief period to Khartoum in 1955,New Governor of Sudan – Sir Knox Helm
''The Glasgow Herald'', 31 December 1954 being the last Governor-General there.

Spouses

His first wife, Grace Little, died in 1925. His second, Isabel Marsh, whom he married in 1931, survived him after he died at sea in 1964.

Publications

The Middle East of to-day and its problems
(Ramsay Muir memorial lecture delivered at Cambridge on 5 August 1956), Ramsay Muir Educational Trust, Purley, 1956

References

HELM, Sir (Alexander) Knox
''Who Was Who'', A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012, accessed 11 April 2013
Sir Knox Helm: Brilliant Career In Diplomacy
(obituary), ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', London, 10 March 1964, page 16
Sir Knox Helm: A friend writes ...
''The Times'', London, 16 March 1964, page 12 {{DEFAULTSORT:Helm, Knox 1893 births 1964 deaths Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I Governors-general of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George People who died at sea Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Turkey People from Dumfries People educated at Dumfries Academy Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Hungary Members of HM Diplomatic Service 20th-century British diplomats