Neville Wigram, 2nd Baron Wigram

Neville Wigram
Born	George Neville Clive Wigram 2 August 1915 (1915-08-02) (age 96)
Nationality	United Kingdom
Alma mater	University of Oxford
Title	Baron Wigram of Clewer
Term	1960–present
Predecessor	Clive Wigram
Spouse	Margaret Helen Thorne (1941–1986)
Children	Andrew Francis Clive Wigram Margaret Cherry Wigram Anne Celia Wigram
Awards	Military Cross
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1934–1957 (23 years)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Service number	66919
Unit	Grenadier Guards
Battles/wars	Second World War Dunkirk evacuation Normandy landings

George Neville Clive Wigram, 2nd Baron Wigram, MC (born 2 August 1915)^[1][2] 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.

Early life

Wigram was a Page of Honour to His Majesty King George V. He resigned from the post in 1932.^[3]

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.^[4]

Military career

Wigram transferred from the Territorial Army, which he joined when he took a commission in the OTC, to the Grenadier Guards as a Second Lieutenant on 28 August 1937. He was given seniority from 30 January 1936.^[5] He was promoted to Captain on 30 January 1944,^[6] to Major on the 30 January 1949,^[7] and to Lieutenant Colonel on 9 May 1955.^[8]

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.^[9] 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:

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.^[9]

Wigram returned to France in 1944 during the Normandy landings. He then advanced through Europe with the Grenadier Guards.^[9] 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.^[9]

On 10 July 1945, it was gazetted that the then Major (temporary) Wigram, Grenadier Guards,^[10] had been awarded the Military Cross "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in North West Europe".^[10]

Lieutenant Colonel Wigram retired from the British Army on the 26 June 1957, on account of a disability.^[11]

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 Lieutenants commissioned that year by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Gloucester.^[12]

Family

In 1941, Baron Wigram married Margaret Helen Thorne (1917–1986), daughter of General 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.^[13]

References

1. ^ "George Neville Clive Wigram, 2nd Baron Wigram". GeneAll.net. http://www.geneall.net/U/per_page.php?id=99977. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
2. ^ "The Wigram Family History and Coat of Arms". equerry-d.com. http://www.equerry-d.com/coatofarms.php. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
3. ^ London Gazette: no. 33800. p. 1. 19 February 1932.
4. ^ London Gazette: no. 34266. p. 8. 20 March 1936.
5. ^ London Gazette: no. 34430. p. 6. 27 August 1937.
6. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36353. p. 2. 28 January 1944. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
7. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38526. p. 2. 1 February 1949. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
8. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40548. p. 3. 26 July 1955. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Woolfoot, Andy (23 February 2008). "Man shot in back saved by soapdish". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/2066419.man_shot_in_back_saved_by_soapdish/. Retrieved 19 February 2010. 
10. ^ ^{a b} London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37172. pp. 2–4. 10 July 1945.
11. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41108. p. 2. 21 June 1957. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
12. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44959. p. 2. 17 October 1969. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
13. ^ "Family of John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer". william1.co.uk. http://www.william1.co.uk/w81.htm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 

Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Clive Wigram	Baron Wigram 1960–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Wigram, Neville Wigram, 2nd Baron
Alternative names	George Neville Clive Wigram
Short description
Date of birth	2 August 1915
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death