Captain

George Charles Grey
Grey in 1936 (aged 18)
Born2 December 1918 (1918-12-02)
Died30 July 1944 (1944-07-31) (aged 25)
Normandy, German-occupied France
Buried
Le Repas
49°05′33.7″N 0°47′02.5″W / 49.092694°N 0.784028°W / 49.092694; -0.784028
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1938–1944
RankCaptain
Service number79683
Unit4th Battalion, Grenadier Guards
Battles/warsSecond World War
Member of Parliament
for Berwick-upon-Tweed
In office
18 August 1941 – 30 July 1944
Preceded byHugh Seely
Succeeded byWilliam Beveridge

George Charles Grey (2 December 1918 – 30 July 1944) was Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency in England from August 1941[1] until his death in action in July 1944.[2]

Early life

George Charles Grey was the son of Major-General Wulff Henry Grey CB, CMG of the Royal Engineers and Alix Grey. His education took in Durnford School at Langton Matravers, Winchester College and, following a year at Berlin University, to Hertford College, Oxford.[3][4]

Politics

From the 1931 election, when Grey braved public opinion at his private school by flaunting the Liberal colours, he was a devoted and unswervingly faithful adherent of the Liberal Party.[5] He stood unopposed in a by-election triggered by Sir Hugh Michael Seely being elevated to the peerage.[1] He was sworn in at the House of Commons on 9 September 1941.[6] Grey made his maiden speech there on 17 December 1941 in a debate on 'service pay and dependants' allowances'. He closed his speech with these words -[7]

So I would beg most sincerely that the Government should consider this last point and what should be done for the Forces after the war. If they decide it now and arrange this method, it will help morale considerably, and make soldiers realise that provision is being made not only to win the war but to help them win their peace.

— Captain George Charles Grey, Hansard, 17 December 1941

Between his election and his death, he was the youngest member of the House of Commons, having been elected at the age of 22. Not only was he youngest member of that Parliament, he was the youngest MP of the 20th Century.[3]

Following the death of Grey when he was killed in action with his regiment in France, William Beveridge retained Berwick for the Liberals in the subsequent by-election.[8]

His death was noted by the House when Speaker of the Commons, Douglas Clifton Brown informed the Members. His words were recorded in Hansard:[9]

I regret to have to inform the House of the death, in action, of Captain George Charles Grey, Member for the County of Northumberland (Berwick-upon-Tweed Division), and I desire on behalf of the House to express our sense of the loss we have sustained and our sympathy with the relatives of the honourable Member.

— Douglas Clifton Brown, Hansard, 26 September 1944

Military career

In 1938, Grey joined the Grenadier Guards Supplementary Reserve of Officers. He served with the regiment during the Battle of France and participated in the Dunkirk Evacuation.[4][10]

A captain in the 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards, he was participating in Operation Bluecoat when he was killed by a sniper as his tank was hit advancing through Lutain Wood.[11][2]

He was buried on the battlefield by his men, on the site of which his family later erected a memorial. The residents of Le Repas and Captain Grey's family were 'emphatic in their desire' for the grave to remain in place. The stone for the cross came from the Houses of Parliament in London. The site is now recognised as a war grave, designated the Livry (Le Repas) Isolated Grave.[2][11][3]

A memorial service was held at St. Margaret's, Westminster on 27 September 1944.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 "News in Brief". The Times. No. 49008. 19 August 1941. p. 2.
  2. 1 2 3 "Casualty". cwgc.org. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Grey, George Charles : Winchester College at War". winchestercollegeatwar.com. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Deaths". The Times. No. 49931. 10 August 1944. p. 7.
  5. ↑ The Times obit 1944
  6. ↑ "NEW MEMBER SWORN. (Hansard, 9 September 1941)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "SERVICE PAY AND DEPENDANTS' ALLOWANCES. (Hansard, 17 December 1941)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Member elected to serve in the present Parliament". The London Gazette. No. 36757. 20 October 1944. p. 4817.
  9. ↑ "DEATH OF A MEMBER (Hansard, 26 September 1944)". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  10. ↑ "Supplementary Reserve of Officers". The London Gazette. No. 34584. p. 8307.
  11. 1 2 "Cemetery". cwgc.org. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 49963. 23 September 1944. p. 7.
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