George Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk
Encyclopedia
Group Captain
George "Geordie" Nigel Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk, KT
, GCMG
, GBE
, AFC
, AE
, PC
, QC
(Scot.), (4 January 1906 - 24 November 1994) was a Scottish
nobleman and Conservative politician.
, he was the second son of the 13th Duke of Hamilton and Brandon
and Nina Mary Benita
, youngest daughter of Major R. Poore, Salisbury. He was educated at Eton College
, Balliol College, Oxford
, Edinburgh University (LLB) and at the University of Bonn
, Vienna University and the Sorbonne
. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
in 1935, taking silk
in 1959.
He played cricket
for Wiltshire
in the 1927 Minor Counties Championship.
He was a member of Edinburgh
Town Council from 1935–40 and served as a Commissioner
of General Board of Control (Scotland) from 1936–39 and as a Commissioner for Special Areas in Scotland from 1937-39. He commanded 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron
in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
from 1934-38.
, Douglas-Hamilton joined the Royal Air Force
. He served as Fighter Command
's chief intelligence officer and the personal assistant to Air Chief Marshal
Dowding
. Douglas-Hamilton was also involved in countering the German task force operating near Ceylon.
Douglas-Hamilton was twice Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Air Force Cross
in 1938 and the OBE
in 1941.
He succeeded to Earldom upon the death of his father in 1940, under terms of special remainder, his elder brother becoming the 14th Duke of Hamilton
.
(1951–52) and to Queen Elizabeth II
(1952–53). He held Ministerial office as Paymaster-General
from November 1953-December 1955, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
from December 1955-January 1957 and as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1957-October 1959.
He was UK High Commissioner for Singapore and Commissioner General for South-East Asia from 1959–63, and UK Council Representative to Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
from 1960-63.
He was appointed a Privy Counsellor
in 1955, and awarded the GCMG
in 1959 and the GBE
in 1963. He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle
in 1976.
He held the office of Deputy Keeper of Holyroodhouse between 1937 until his death, the Duke of Hamilton
being hereditary Keeper.
He was made a Freeman of Hamilton, Scotland
, in 1938. He was also an Honorary Chief of the Saulteaux
Indians, 1967, and an Honorary Citizen of the City of Winnipeg
and of the town of Selkirk, Manitoba
.
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
George "Geordie" Nigel Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Selkirk, KT
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, AE
Air Efficiency Award
The Air Efficiency award, abbreviated to AE when placed after a holder's name, was a United Kingdom honour given for ten years' efficient service in the Reserve Air Forces of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Empire. Unlike other long service and meritorious conduct awards, both officers and...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(Scot.), (4 January 1906 - 24 November 1994) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
nobleman and Conservative politician.
Early life
Born at Merly, Wimborne, DorsetDorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, he was the second son of the 13th Duke of Hamilton and Brandon
Alfred Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton
Lieutenant Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and 10th Duke of Brandon TD, DL was a Scottish nobleman and sailor.-Life and Succession:...
and Nina Mary Benita
Nina Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton
Nina Mary Benita Douglas-Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton . She was born in Salisbury, the daughter of Major Robert Poore, married Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and died in London....
, youngest daughter of Major R. Poore, Salisbury. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, Edinburgh University (LLB) and at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, Vienna University and the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates
Faculty of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates is an independent body of lawyers who have been admitted to practise as advocates before the courts of Scotland, especially the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary...
in 1935, taking silk
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in 1959.
He played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Wiltshire
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the 1927 Minor Counties Championship.
He was a member of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Town Council from 1935–40 and served as a Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of General Board of Control (Scotland) from 1936–39 and as a Commissioner for Special Areas in Scotland from 1937-39. He commanded 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron
No. 603 Squadron RAF
No. 603 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The primary role of 603 Squadron, since reforming on 1 October 1999, has been as a Survive to Operate squadron, as well as providing Force Protection.-Formation and early years:No...
in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
from 1934-38.
World War II
With the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Douglas-Hamilton joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He served as Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
's chief intelligence officer and the personal assistant to Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Dowding
Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding
Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG was a British officer in the Royal Air Force...
. Douglas-Hamilton was also involved in countering the German task force operating near Ceylon.
Douglas-Hamilton was twice Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
in 1938 and the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1941.
He succeeded to Earldom upon the death of his father in 1940, under terms of special remainder, his elder brother becoming the 14th Duke of Hamilton
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton
Air Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
.
Post war activity
He was elected as a Scottish representative peer from 1945–63, during which time he served as a Lord in Waiting to King George VIGeorge VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
(1951–52) and to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
(1952–53). He held Ministerial office as Paymaster-General
Paymaster-General
HM Paymaster General is a ministerial position in the United Kingdom. The Paymaster General is in charge of the Office of HM Paymaster General , which held accounts at the Bank of England on behalf of Government departments and selected other public bodies...
from November 1953-December 1955, as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
from December 1955-January 1957 and as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1957-October 1959.
He was UK High Commissioner for Singapore and Commissioner General for South-East Asia from 1959–63, and UK Council Representative to Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on 19 February...
from 1960-63.
He was appointed a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1955, and awarded the GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1959 and the GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1963. He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
in 1976.
He held the office of Deputy Keeper of Holyroodhouse between 1937 until his death, the Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
being hereditary Keeper.
He was made a Freeman of Hamilton, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, in 1938. He was also an Honorary Chief of the Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
Indians, 1967, and an Honorary Citizen of the City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and of the town of Selkirk, Manitoba
Selkirk, Manitoba
Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....
.
See also
- Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonDouglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of HamiltonAir Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, KT, GCVO, AFC, PC, DL, FRCSE, FRGS, was a Scottish nobleman and pioneering aviator....
- Lord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonLord Malcolm Douglas-HamiltonWing Commander Lord Malcolm Avondale Douglas-Hamilton OBE, DFC was a Scottish nobleman and politician....
- Lord David Douglas-HamiltonLord David Douglas-HamiltonSquadron Leader Lord David Douglas-Hamilton was a Scottish nobleman, pilot, and boxer.The youngest son of Lt...