Lord George Wellesley (29 July 1889 – 31 July 1967) was an English soldier and airman.

Biography

Wellesley was born on 29 July 1889, the son of Colonel Lord Arthur Wellesley (later the 4th Duke of Wellington), and Kathleen Emily Bulkeley Williams. His great-grandfather was

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister o ...

. Wellesley was educated at

Wellington College, Berkshire Wellington College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. Wellington is a registered charity and currently educates roughly 1,200 pupils, between the ages of 13 and ...

. He was Managing Director of Coxeter and Son plc. He was commissioned a second lieutenant (on probation) in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

on 3 February 1909 and was confirmed in his rank on 1 February 1911. He was promoted to lieutenant on 15 September 1912, and was appointed a flying officer in the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

(RFC) on 30 June 1914. He was promoted to flight commander on 11 December 1914, with the temporary rank of captain, and was appointed an instructor at the Central Flying School of the RFC on 19 December. He fought in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

between 1914 and 1918, where he was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

in June 1916. He was appointed a squadron commander on 1 July 1916, with the permanent rank of captain and the temporary rank of major. He was decorated with the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

in 1916. On 19th November 1910 Wellesley rescued 20 year old May Haviland from an attempted suicide when she threw herself into the Thames from Putney Bridge with two six pound weights attached to her neck. Wellesley married Louise Nesta Pamela FitzGerald, the widow of his older brother Richard, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, on March 12, 1917. She was the daughter of Sir Maurice FitzGerald, 2nd Baronet, and Amelia Catherine Bischoffsheim. Richard, a Captain in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

, was killed in action on October 29, 1914. Wellesley was appointed a wing commander in the RFC, with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, on 1 October 1917. He gained the rank of

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

in 1939 in the service of the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

(RAFVR). He fought in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

between 1939 and 1945. He was decorated with the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...

Medal. He relinquished his commission in the RAFVR on 10 February 1954, retaining the rank of squadron leader. After the death of his first wife on 21 February 1947, Wellesley married secondly Jean McGillivray, daughter of John McGillivray and Jane Ann Stuart, on 25 November 1955. He had a son, Richard, with his first wife. Wellesley died on 31 July 1967.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellesley, George 1889 births 1967 deaths George Wellesley, Lord Royal Flying Corps officers People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Recipients of the Military Cross British Army personnel of World War I Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Royal Air Force squadron leaders Younger sons of dukes Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Grenadier Guards officers