Richard Whitaker Porritt
Encyclopedia
Captain
Richard Whitaker Porritt (4 September 1910 – 26 May 1940) was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Heywood and Radcliffe
and became the first British MP to be killed in World War II
.
Porritt was the son of Lt.-Colonel Austin Townsend Porritt, TD
., DL
, JP
and of Annie Louise Porritt (née Law-Schofield), of Grange-over-Sands
, Lancashire
. He was educated at Marlborough College
and was an Honours Graduate of Cambridge University. Porritt was elected to Heywood and Radcliffe seat at the age of 24 in 1935 and was one of the youngest MPs in the House of Commons. To commemorate the 1939 Canadian royal tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Porritt anonymously founded a $23,400 trust fund to aid Fairbridge schools
in Canada
.
Porritt was in the Officer Training Corps at Marlborough and was commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers
regiment of the British Army
in 1931 where he served in a Territorial Army unit. During World War II he served as a captain in the 1/5th Bn of the Lancashire Fusiliers and was killed in action
in 1940. He was killed in the town of Seclin
, near Lille
during the retreat to Dunkirk
one day after the order to evacuate the allied force from France
in the wake of the German offensive. The British Army were retreating towards the channel coast
at the time trying to establish a defensive line behind which the evacuation was being progressed.
Whilst some sources claim Ronald Cartland
was the first MP to be killed, official sources and others confirm that Porritt was killed four days before Cartland who was killed on the 30th May 1940
In 1983 the town of Seclin named 'Square du Captaine R.W. Porritt' in honour of him. Porritt lies nearby in the Seclin (De Bergault) Communal Cemetery.
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...
Richard Whitaker Porritt (4 September 1910 – 26 May 1940) was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Heywood and Radcliffe
Heywood and Radcliffe (UK Parliament constituency)
Heywood and Radcliffe was a county constituency centred on the towns of Heywood and Radcliffe in South Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:Under the Representation of...
and became the first British MP to be killed in World War II
World 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...
.
Porritt was the son of Lt.-Colonel Austin Townsend Porritt, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
., 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....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and of Annie Louise Porritt (née Law-Schofield), of Grange-over-Sands
Grange-over-Sands
Grange-over-Sands is a town and civil parish by the sea – with a wide tidal range, hence the "sands" name – in Cumbria, England. Historically, Grange-over-Sands was part of the County of Lancashire until 1974, when Cumbria was created under Local Government re-organisation which absorbed the area...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He was educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and was an Honours Graduate of Cambridge University. Porritt was elected to Heywood and Radcliffe seat at the age of 24 in 1935 and was one of the youngest MPs in the House of Commons. To commemorate the 1939 Canadian royal tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Porritt anonymously founded a $23,400 trust fund to aid Fairbridge schools
Kingsley Fairbridge
Kingsley Ogilvie Fairbridge was the founder of a child emigration scheme to British colonies and the Fairbridge Schools...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Porritt was in the Officer Training Corps at Marlborough and was commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
regiment 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...
in 1931 where he served in a Territorial Army unit. During World War II he served as a captain in the 1/5th Bn of the Lancashire Fusiliers and was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in 1940. He was killed in the town of Seclin
Seclin
Seclin is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole.Ghana national football team footballer Andre Ayew was born in Seclin.-Twin towns — Sister cities:...
, near Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
during the retreat to Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
one day after the order to evacuate the allied force from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the wake of the German offensive. The British Army were retreating towards the channel coast
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
at the time trying to establish a defensive line behind which the evacuation was being progressed.
Whilst some sources claim Ronald Cartland
Ronald Cartland
John Ronald Hamilton Cartland was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for King's Norton in Birmingham from 1935 until he was killed in action in 1940, aged 33.-Background:...
was the first MP to be killed, official sources and others confirm that Porritt was killed four days before Cartland who was killed on the 30th May 1940
In 1983 the town of Seclin named 'Square du Captaine R.W. Porritt' in honour of him. Porritt lies nearby in the Seclin (De Bergault) Communal Cemetery.
