Henry Wellesley, 6th Duke of Wellington
Encyclopedia
Henry Valerian George Wellesley, 6th Duke of Wellington (14 July 1912 – 16 September 1943) was the son of Arthur Charles Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington and the Hon. Lilian Maud Glean Coats, daughter of Lord Glentaner. He was styled the Earl of Mornington
between 1912 and 1934 and Marquess of Douro between 1934 and 1941. His career in the military began with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1935 in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).
He died, aged 31, on 16 September 1943 from wounds received in action while leading a group of Commando
s. He is buried in the British Salerno War Cemetery, Bivio Pratole in the province of Salerno
, Italy. At the time of his death he was a Captain in command of a Troop in No. 2 Commando
, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel 'Mad' Jack Churchill
.
Both No 2 and No 41 Commando Royal Marines
were engaged at the Salerno landings. They switched from their initial battle area around Vietri sul Mare, west of Salerno, to a position two to three miles inland of Mercatello, then south east of Salerno. The Germans held and were strengthening three high-ground positions. During the daytime of 16 September, No 2 Commando moved back though a valley around the village of Piegolelle dubbed 'Pigoletti', which had been cleared the night before, intending to capture a hill at the far end referred to as 'Pimple Hill'. However, in the early hours the Germans had sent light forces back into the valley and also strengthened 'Pimple Hill'. On assaulting the hill two troops of commandos were exposed to well-positioned machine-gun fire. The Duke was among the fatalities, hit by a sustained burst from a Spandau
position.
As he died without issue, and was the only son of his father, he was succeeded in the peerage
by his uncle, Lord Gerald Wellesley
. His sister Anne succeeded him as 7th Duchess of Ciudad Rodrigo.
Earl of Mornington
Earl of Mornington is a title in the Peerage of Ireland, since 1863 a subsidiary title of the dukedom of Wellington. It was created in 1760 for the Anglo-Irish politician and composer Garret Wellesley, 2nd Baron Mornington. He was made Viscount Wellesley, of Dangan Castle in the County of Meath, at...
between 1912 and 1934 and Marquess of Douro between 1934 and 1941. His career in the military began with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in 1935 in the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).
He died, aged 31, on 16 September 1943 from wounds received in action while leading a group of Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s. He is buried in the British Salerno War Cemetery, Bivio Pratole in the province of Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
, Italy. At the time of his death he was a Captain in command of a Troop in No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel 'Mad' Jack Churchill
Jack Churchill
Lieutenant Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming "Jack" Churchill, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar , nicknamed "Fighting Jack Churchill" and "Mad Jack", was a British soldier who fought throughout World War II armed with a longbow, arrows and a claymore...
.
Both No 2 and No 41 Commando Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
were engaged at the Salerno landings. They switched from their initial battle area around Vietri sul Mare, west of Salerno, to a position two to three miles inland of Mercatello, then south east of Salerno. The Germans held and were strengthening three high-ground positions. During the daytime of 16 September, No 2 Commando moved back though a valley around the village of Piegolelle dubbed 'Pigoletti', which had been cleared the night before, intending to capture a hill at the far end referred to as 'Pimple Hill'. However, in the early hours the Germans had sent light forces back into the valley and also strengthened 'Pimple Hill'. On assaulting the hill two troops of commandos were exposed to well-positioned machine-gun fire. The Duke was among the fatalities, hit by a sustained burst from a Spandau
Maschinengewehr 08
The Maschinengewehr 08, or MG08, was the German Army's standard machine gun in World War I and is an adoption of Hiram S. Maxim's original 1884 Maxim Gun. It was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 remained in service until the outbreak of World War II due to shortages of...
position.
As he died without issue, and was the only son of his father, he was succeeded in the peerage
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
by his uncle, Lord Gerald Wellesley
Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington
Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington, KG , styled Lord Gerald Wellesley between 1900 and 1943, was a British diplomat, soldier, and architect....
. His sister Anne succeeded him as 7th Duchess of Ciudad Rodrigo.