William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle
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| The Rt Hon. The Viscount De L'Isle, VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO, PC |
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| In office 3 August 1961 – 7 May 1965 |
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| Preceded by | The Viscount Dunrossil |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Casey |
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| Born | 23 May 1909 Chelsea, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 5 April 1991 (aged 81) Kent, United Kingdom |
William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle, VC, KG, GCMG, GCVO, PC (23 May 1909 – 5 April 1991), was the 15th Governor-General of Australia and the last one who was British. He was a son-in-law of Field Marshal Lord Gort.
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[edit] Early life
He was the son of the 5th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley, and came from one of England's oldest and most distinguished families. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge and became a chartered accountant. In 1929 he joined the Grenadier Guards Reserve of Officers.
[edit] War service
During World War II Sidney served in France and Italy. He led a handful of men in the defence of the Anzio beachhead, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Sidney led a successful attack which drove German troops out of a gully. Later he led another counter-attack and dashed forward, engaging the Germans with his tommy gun at point-blank range, forcing a withdrawal. When the attack was renewed, Sidney and one guardsman were wounded and another killed, but he would not consent to have his wounds dressed until the Germans had been beaten off and the battalion's position was consolidated. During this time, although extremely weak from loss of blood, he continued to encourage and inspire his men.
In later life, when asked where he had been shot, he would jocularly respond that he was shot in Italy. This was to conceal the fact that he had, in fact, been shot in the buttocks.
[edit] Political Life
At a by-election in 1944 he was elected unopposed to the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelsea. His father died in 1945 and he succeeded as 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley. In 1951 he was appointed Secretary of State for Air under Winston Churchill and held that office until 1955. During this time he visited Australia, travelling to Woomera to examine weapons research and meeting the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies. In 1956 he was created Viscount De L'Isle.
[edit] Governor-General
In 1961, following the sudden death of Lord Dunrossil, Menzies recommended De L'Isle's appointment as Governor-General of Australia. He performed his ceremonial duties with dignity and travelled widely around Australia. There were no political or constitutional controversies during his term, since the Menzies Liberal government was firmly in power.
[edit] Retirement
By the time of De L'Isle's retirement in 1965, public opinion was strongly in favour of an Australian Governor-General, although this was not a reflection on his performance in the role. His continuing interest in Australia was shown by several visits after his retirement, the last for Australia's bicentenary in 1988, when he presented a bronze statue which now stands in the grounds of Government House in Canberra.
De L'Isle held firmly conservative views and was involved in the foundation of what is now the Freedom Association. He died in Kent on 5 April 1991.
[edit] Styles and Honours
- Mr William Sidney (1909-1945?)
- The Hon. William Sidney VC (1945?-1945)
- The Rt. Hon. The Lord De L'Isle and Dudley VC (1945-1956)
- The Rt. Hon. The Viscount De L'Isle VC (1956-1961)
- The Rt. Hon. The Viscount De L'Isle VC KG GCMG GCVO PC (1961?-1991)
Lord De L'Isle would have been made GCMG and GCVO upon becoming Governor-General of Australia, and would later have been appointed Knight of the Garter (KG). However, it is unknown when exactly these appointments were made.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by Sir Samuel Hoare |
Member of Parliament for Chelsea 1944–1945 |
Succeeded by Allan Noble |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Henderson |
Secretary of State for Air 1951–1955 |
Succeeded by Nigel Birch |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by The Viscount Dunrossil |
Governor-General of Australia 1961–1965 |
Succeeded by The Lord Casey |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by new creation |
Viscount De L'Isle 1956–1991 |
Succeeded by Philip Sidney |
| Preceded by William Sidney |
Baron De L'Isle and Dudley 1845–1991 |
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| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Sidney Patrick Shelley |
Baronet (of Castle Goring) 1965–1991 |
Succeeded by Philip Sidney |
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