Neville Wigram, 2nd Baron Wigram
Encyclopedia
George Neville Clive Wigram, 2nd Baron Wigram, MC
(born 2 August 1915) is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the British Army
. He has held the title of Baron Wigram
of Clewer, Berkshire
, since 1960 when his father Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram
died. His son Major
Andrew Francis Clive Wigram MVO
, born 1949, is the heir apparent
to the title.
to His Majesty King George V
. He resigned from the post in 1932.
He was educated at Oxford University, and was an Officer Cadet in the University's Officers Training Corps
. He took a commission within the infantry contingent of the Oxford OTC on 7 February 1936, and became a Second Lieutenant
with seniority from 7 August 1934.
as a Second Lieutenant on 28 August 1937. He was given seniority from 30 January 1936. He was promoted to Captain
on 30 January 1944, to Major on the 30 January 1949, and to Lieutenant Colonel on 9 May 1955.
During World War II, Wigram was involved in the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation. He was shot in the back, but was not aware of it at the time. He only found out later when he opened his backpack to find a bullet embedded in his soap-dish. During a presentation he gave to a group of special needs
school children at Coln House School, Fairford, Gloucestershire, Wigram described his experience at Dunkirk:
Wigram returned to France in 1944 during the Normandy landings. He then advanced through Europe with the Grenadier Guards. In April 1945, he was involved with the liberation of a concentration camp near Bremen, Germany. During the same presentation mentioned earlier, he described what they found at the camp:
On 10 July 1945, it was gazetted that the then Major (temporary
) Wigram, Grenadier Guards, had been awarded the Military Cross
"in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe".
Lieutenant Colonel Wigram retired from the British Army on the 26 June 1957, on account of a disability.
On 8 October 1969, Wigram was announced as one of five Deputy Lieutenant
s commissioned that year by the Lord Lieutenant
of the County of Gloucester
.
Andrew Thorne
. Together they had three children: Major Andrew Wigram, who was married in 1974 to Gabrielle Diana Moore; Margaret Cherry Wigram, (born 1942), who in 1972 married Lieutenant Colonel Greville John Wyndham Malet, OBE
, they divorced in 1993; Anne Celia Wigram, (born 1945), in 1973 married Major General Evelyn John Webb-Carter
, KCVO
, OBE
, DL
. Baron Wigram has nine grandchildren.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(born 2 August 1915) is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He has held the title of Baron Wigram
Baron Wigram
Baron Wigram, of Clewer in the County of Berkshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the soldier and court official Sir Clive Wigram, Private Secretary to King George V from 1931 to 1936...
of Clewer, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, since 1960 when his father Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram
Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram
Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram GCB, GCVO, CSI, PC , was a British soldier and court official. He was Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1931 to 1936....
died. His son Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Andrew Francis Clive Wigram MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, born 1949, is the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the title.
Early life
Wigram was a Page of HonourPage of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
to His Majesty King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
. He resigned from the post in 1932.
He was educated at Oxford University, and was an Officer Cadet in the University's Officers Training Corps
Officers Training Corps
The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
. He took a commission within the infantry contingent of the Oxford OTC on 7 February 1936, and became a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
with seniority from 7 August 1934.
Military career
Wigram transferred from the Territorial Army, which he joined when he took a commission in the OTC, to the Grenadier GuardsGrenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
as a Second Lieutenant on 28 August 1937. He was given seniority from 30 January 1936. He was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 30 January 1944, to Major on the 30 January 1949, and to Lieutenant Colonel on 9 May 1955.
During World War II, Wigram was involved in the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation. He was shot in the back, but was not aware of it at the time. He only found out later when he opened his backpack to find a bullet embedded in his soap-dish. During a presentation he gave to a group of special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
school children at Coln House School, Fairford, Gloucestershire, Wigram described his experience at Dunkirk:
There was absolute chaos on the beach and a lot of the destroyers had been sunk. While we were there we were shot at from the Germans airplanes but it was amazing how few casualties there were.
Wigram returned to France in 1944 during the Normandy landings. He then advanced through Europe with the Grenadier Guards. In April 1945, he was involved with the liberation of a concentration camp near Bremen, Germany. During the same presentation mentioned earlier, he described what they found at the camp:
This was a very small camp and it was occupied with prisoners of war and civilians. The civilians were mostly Frenchmen who had been deported from France and they were dying of typhus.
On 10 July 1945, it was gazetted that the then Major (temporary
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
) Wigram, Grenadier Guards, had been awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
"in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe".
Lieutenant Colonel Wigram retired from the British Army on the 26 June 1957, on account of a disability.
Later life
Upon the death of his father in 1960, Neville Wigram became the second Baron Wigram, of Clewer in the County of Berkshire.On 8 October 1969, Wigram was announced as one of five Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
s commissioned that year by the Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of the County of Gloucester
Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Since 1694, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos 1559–?...
.
Family
In 1941, Baron Wigram married Margaret Helen Thorne (1917–1986), daughter of GeneralGeneral (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Andrew Thorne
Andrew Thorne
General Sir Augustus Francis Andrew Nicol Thorne KCB, CMG, DSO & Two Bars was a soldier in the British Army who served in the First and Second World Wars.-Military career:...
. Together they had three children: Major Andrew Wigram, who was married in 1974 to Gabrielle Diana Moore; Margaret Cherry Wigram, (born 1942), who in 1972 married Lieutenant Colonel Greville John Wyndham Malet, 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...
, they divorced in 1993; Anne Celia Wigram, (born 1945), in 1973 married Major General Evelyn John Webb-Carter
Evelyn John Webb-Carter
Major General Sir Evelyn John Webb-Carter KCVO, OBE, DL was the last 'Colonel of The Regiment' of The Duke of Wellington's Regiment , before their amalgamation into the Yorkshire Regiment, 3rd Battalion .-Early life:Webb-Carter is the son of Brigadier Brian Wolsey Webb-Carter DSO & Bar, OBE .He...
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, 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...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
. Baron Wigram has nine grandchildren.