Eric Thesiger

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Eric Richard Thesiger DSO, TD (17 February 1874 – 2 October 1961),^[1] styled The Honourable from 1878, was a British soldier and page to Queen Victoria.

Background

He was the fourth son of Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford and his wife Adria Fanny Heath, daughter of Major-General John Coussamker Heath.^[2] His older brothers were Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and the diplomat Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger.^[2] Thesiger was educated at Winchester College and in 1884, he was nominated Page of Honour to the Queen, a post he fulfilled for the following six years.^[3] In 1893, he became a Staff Commissioner of Police.^[3]

Career

Thesiger joined the Imperial Yeomanry as a private during the Second Boer War,^[4] when he was appointed a lieutenant of the 15th Battalion (Imperial Yeomanry) on 29 November 1900.^[5] On 1 November 1901 he was promoted to captain in the battalion, with the temporary rank of captain in the Army.^[6] He stayed in South Africa until the war ended in May 1902, and left Port Elizabeth for Southampton on the SS Colombian two months later.^[7] In late 1902 he became a second lieutenant of the Surrey Yeomanry.^[8] He was transferred as major from the Yeomanry into the Territorial Force in 1908.^[9] In the First World War Thesiger was wounded twice and was mentioned in despatches as many times.^[3]

He was appointed to the 10th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment in 1917,^[10] commanding it until 1918, and subsequently the 10th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment for another year.^[11] In March of the latter year, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)^[12] and in August, he received the Territorial Decoration (TD).^[13] He was made an Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium and also awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre in October^[14] and some days later, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.^[15]

He retired from the Territorial Army in 1929, having reached the age limit.^[16]

Family

On 29 October 1904, he married firstly Pearl Marie Coupland, only daughter of John Coupland, and had by her a daughter and two sons.^[1] She died in 1922, and Thesiger remarried Sydney Hilda Hutton-Croft, daughter of George Arthur Hutton-Croft on 3 October 1929, but she died only a year later.^[1] He married thirdly Mary Pudsey, daughter of Reverend F. W. Pudsey, on 27 March 1953.^[1] His third wife sadly also died the next year, and Thesiger survived her until 1961.^[1]

References

1. "ThePeerage — Lt-Col Eric Richard Thesiger". Retrieved 25 March 2007.
2. Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families. vol. II. London: Hurst & Blackett. p. 1917.
3. Who Is Who 1935. London: A. & C. Black Ltd. 1935. p. 3340.
4. Whitaker's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companioage. J. Whitaker & Sons. 1923. p. 193.
5. The London Gazette: no. 27251. p. 7823. 27 November 1900. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
6. The London Gazette: no. 27385. p. 8717. 10 December 1901.
7. "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home". The Times (36821). London. 16 July 1902. p. 11.
8. The London Gazette: no. 27513. p. 112. 6 September 1903. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
9. The London Gazette: no. 28159. p. 5222. 17 July 1908. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30584. p. 3449. 15 March 1918. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31428. p. 8314. 1 July 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
12. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31435. p. 8505. 4 July 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31511. p. 10551. 19 August 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
14. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31615. p. 12996. 21 October 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
15. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31626. p. 13406. 31 October 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
16. The London Gazette: no. 33470. p. 1348. 26 February 1929. Retrieved 6 November 2009.

External links

• Portraits of Hon. Eric Richard Thesiger at the National Portrait Gallery, London