Neville Blond

CMG CMG may refer to: Companies * Capitol Music Group, a music label * China Media Group, the predominant state radio and television broadcaster in the PRC * China Media Group Co., Ltd., publicly listed Chinese holding company in the media sector * ...

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(11 February 1896 - 4 August 1970) was born in

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, Yorkshire to Bernard and Rachel Blond. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School and in Switzerland. His career began in his family’s textile business but at the start of WW1 he joined the army. He received two decorations from the French government and reached the rank of major in the

Royal Horse Guards The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards (The Blues) (RHG) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. Raised in August 1650 at Newcastle upon Tyne and County Durham by Sir Arthur Haselrigge on the orders of Oliver Cr ...

. In 1921 he resumed his work within the family business. In 1927, Blond married Eileen Rebecca Nahum; they had two sons; Anthony (1928–2008) and Peter (1929–2021). In 1944, he married secondly Elaine Marks, daughter of Michael Marks. John Kenneally VC (1921–2000) claimed in writing that he was an illegitimate son of Blond by Gertrude Nowell Robinson. Blond paid child support, but also doubted his paternity. During WW2, Blond served in the RAF as a Wing commander and later was involved with activities on behalf of the Ministry of Production and the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

. Between 1948 and 1949, he was a trade adviser in the US. He returned to the family textile business in 1951. Later, as residents of

East Grinstead East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...

, he and Elaine become interested in the welfare of airmen at the local Queen Victoria Hospital and opened their home to those undergoing rehabilitation. In 1959, they donated a block of research laboratories. Further philanthropy in 1964 led to a unit for the severely burned being opened. Blond was a patron of Royal Court Theatre and an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was the first chairman of the English Stage Company, and was succeeded in that role on his death by Robin Fox and Oscar Lewenstein jointly. Lindsay Anderson, ed. Paul Sutton, ''Diaries'' (2004), pp. 249, 505 Blond was appointed an MBE in 1945 and a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in 1950.

References

External links

* ‘BLOND, Neville’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007
accessed 8 Jan 2013
* Anthony Blond ''Jew Made in England'' * Archival Material at Leeds University Library 1896 births 1970 deaths Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Kingston upon Hull British Army personnel of World War I Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Horse Guards officers People educated at Manchester Grammar School Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Officers of the Legion of Honour British textile industry businesspeople English Jews {{RAF-bio-stub