Wyndham Portal, 1st Viscount Portal
Encyclopedia
Wyndham Raymond Portal, 1st Viscount Portal PC
GCMG DSO
MVO
(9 April 1885 – 6 May 1949) was a British politician.
The eldest son of Sir William Wyndam Portal, 2nd Baronet, and Florence Elizabeth Mary Glyn CBE, daughter of Hon. St Leger Glyn, 2nd son of George Glyn, 1st Baron Wolverton
, he was educated at Eton
and Christ Church, Oxford
.
In 1909 he married Lady Louise Rosemary Kathleen Virginia Cairns, MBE, only child of Arthur Cairns, 2nd Earl Cairns
.
He was commissioned into the Hampshire Yeomanry
in 1903, was promoted Lieutenant
in 1905, and transferred to the 9th Lancers later the same year. He transferred to the 1st Life Guards as a Second Lieutenant in 1908 and was promoted Lieutenant again later the same year, but left the Army in 1911. He rejoined the Hampshire Yeomanry in 1914 and served in World War I
. He was promoted Captain
in 1914 while serving as adjutant
of the Royal First Devon Yeomanry
. Transferring back to the Life Guards (Special Reserve) in 1915, he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1916 when he took command of the Household Battalion
. In 1917 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
(MVO). He relinquished command of the battalion in 1918 and reverted to the rank of Captain, but was soon promoted Major
and attached to the Machine Gun Corps
as a battalion commander, again with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He resigned his commission in 1919.
He was Regional Commissioner for Wales under the Civil Defence Scheme from 1939. He served in government as Additional Parliamentary Secretary
to the Ministry of Supply
from 1940–1942, and as Minister of Works and Planning
from 1942–1944.
He was subsequently Chairman of the Bacon Development Board and of the Coal Production Council; and last Chairman of the Great Western Railway
(1945-48). He was President of the Olympic Games in 1948, and Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
from 1947.
Portal succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1931. In 1935 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Portal, of Laverstoke. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor
in 1942, created Viscount Portal in 1945 and awarded the GCMG in 1949.
He was succeeded to the Baronetcy only by his uncle, Sir Spencer John Portal.
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...
GCMG DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
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...
(9 April 1885 – 6 May 1949) was a British politician.
The eldest son of Sir William Wyndam Portal, 2nd Baronet, and Florence Elizabeth Mary Glyn CBE, daughter of Hon. St Leger Glyn, 2nd son of George Glyn, 1st Baron Wolverton
George Glyn, 1st Baron Wolverton
George Carr Glyn, 1st Baron Wolverton was a banker with interests in the railways, a partner in the family firm of Glyn, Mills & Co., which was reputed to be the largest private bank in London....
, he was educated at Eton
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"....
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
.
In 1909 he married Lady Louise Rosemary Kathleen Virginia Cairns, MBE, only child of Arthur Cairns, 2nd Earl Cairns
Arthur William Cairns, 2nd Earl Cairns
Arthur William Cairns was the Second Earl Cairns, succeeding to the title on the death of his father the first Earl Cairns on April 2 1885.-Early life:...
.
He was commissioned into the Hampshire Yeomanry
Hampshire Yeomanry
The Hampshire Yeomanry can trace its formation to the late 18th century. King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister of Great Britain, and across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently guillotined its King and which possessed...
in 1903, was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1905, and transferred to the 9th Lancers later the same year. He transferred to the 1st Life Guards as a Second Lieutenant in 1908 and was promoted Lieutenant again later the same year, but left the Army in 1911. He rejoined the Hampshire Yeomanry in 1914 and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was promoted 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...
in 1914 while serving as adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Royal First Devon Yeomanry
Royal Devon Yeomanry
The Royal Devon Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, it participated in the Boer War, World War I and World War II and now forms a squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.-History:...
. Transferring back to the Life Guards (Special Reserve) in 1915, he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1916 when he took command of the Household Battalion
Household Battalion
The Household Battalion was an infantry battalion of the British army during the Great War. It was formed in September 1916 from the reserves of the Household Cavalry regiments to help fill the every-increasing demands for infantry on the Western Front...
. In 1917 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
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...
(MVO). He relinquished command of the battalion in 1918 and reverted to the rank of Captain, but was soon promoted 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. ...
and attached to the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
as a battalion commander, again with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He resigned his commission in 1919.
He was Regional Commissioner for Wales under the Civil Defence Scheme from 1939. He served in government as Additional Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
from 1940–1942, and as Minister of Works and Planning
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
from 1942–1944.
He was subsequently Chairman of the Bacon Development Board and of the Coal Production Council; and last Chairman of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(1945-48). He was President of the Olympic Games in 1948, and Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Since 1688, all the Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Hampshire.*William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester 1551–?*William Paulet, 3rd Marquess of Winchester bef...
from 1947.
Portal succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1931. In 1935 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Portal, of Laverstoke. 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 1942, created Viscount Portal in 1945 and awarded the GCMG in 1949.
He was succeeded to the Baronetcy only by his uncle, Sir Spencer John Portal.
Source
- Who Was Who (UK)