Hugh Winterborn was the Commanding Officer of the Royal Signals in Auxiliary Units. He was present for the photograph taken on the steps of Coleshill House on 29th January 1942.
He was the son of Rev. Benjamin Thomas Winterborn, an older father who died in 1913 aged 70 when his son was very young, and his wife Sylvia Maud (nee Trousdale).
In the 1930s he took part in various motor racing events, including with Anthony Powys-Lybbe and became godfather to his son. While in Japan, he met and married, in Nov 1936, Froken (Nenne) Beichmann, a Norwegian masseuse. His son Michael Hugh Winterborn was born in Oslo (her home town) in 1939, becoming a noted paediatric nephrologist and setting up the children's dialysis unit in Birmingham.
In 1939 his wife and new son were lodging with Roderick Gubbins and family at 9 The Royal Chase, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Roderick had previously gone by the surname Gubbins then changed to Henderson-Cleland in 1928 but changed it back to Gubbins in 1936. He was married to Hugh's sister Audrey Winterborne.
1946 Birthday Honours List awarded OBE (Military Division).
1965 Birthday Honours List awarded CBE.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleshill House, GHQ | Commanding Officer Royal Signals | 15 Oct 1941 | 23 Mar 1942 |
Formore Weal School
Stonyhurst College, Lancashire
Army Officer
Jan 1925 - Stonyhurst Officer Training Corps
Feb 1928 - Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
29 Aug 1929 - Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Signals. Posted to Depot Battalion, Royal Signals, Catterick Camp
30 Aug 1929 to 1 Jan 1931 - No 20, Royal Signals qualifying course, School of Signals, Catterick Camp
17 Feb 1931 - Posted to 3rd Divisional Signals, Bulford
28 March 1931 to 24 Aug 1931 - Motor Transport course, Royal Army Service Corps training college, Aldershot
Nov 1931 to Dec 1931 - Education course, Shorncliffe
29 Aug 1932 - Promoted Lieutenant, Bulford
Feb 1933 - Messing Officers course, Aldershot
3 Oct 1934 - On strength of Headquarters, London district, whilst attending preliminary course of instruction in Japanese, London
6 July 1935 - Struck off strength, of Headquarters, London district, on completion of above course, London. Posted to Depot Battalion, Signals training centre, Catterick
1 Nov 1935 - Embarked SS Katori for passage to Japan to undergo language duty for 3 years. Struck off strength, of Depot Battalion, Signals training centre, Catterick. Is seconded whilst undergoing language course, Catterick
1937 to 1939 - Attached to Japanese Army (various dates)
1 Aug 1938 - Captain
15 March 1939 - Restored to establishment
2 May 1939 - Arrived in UK, on leave to 7 June 1939
8 June 1939 - Posted to 1st Anti Aircraft Brigade signals, Blackdown. Attached to M.I.2 c War Office
11 Sept 1939 - Disembarked for theatre of Operations, France
13 Sept 1939 - Attached to 2nd Anti Aircraft regiment, Royal Artillery
26 Oct 1939 - Ceased to be attached to 2nd Anti Aircraft regiment, Royal Artillery and re-joined unit
30 Dec 1939 - Posted to UK
3 Jan 1940 - General Staff Officer 3, M.I (c)
20 Jan 1941 - To report to Staff college, Camberley on 23 Jan 1941
23 Jan 1941 - Attended Junior War Course No 5, Staff college, Camberley
23 May 1941 - General Staff Officer, 2nd grade
23 Aug 1941 - To be Temp Major
15 Oct 1941 - Relinquishes appointment. Posted to No 2 Air Formation Signals, Hendon Hall Hotel, NW 4
15 Oct 1941 - Appointed SO Royal Signals, amended, c/o GPO Highworth. Appointed Major, Royal Signals, c/o GPO Highworth
1 Nov 1941 - Posted to Auxiliary units, Home Forces, c/o GPO Highworth, Wilts
1 April 1942 - Relinquishes appointment of SO Royal Signals, on posting to War Office (M.I.2 (c)) as General Staff Officer 2, c/o GPO Highworth
1 April 1942 - To be General Staff Officer 2 Retaining Temp Major
13 April 1942 - Admitted to Royal Masonic hospital, discharged 22 April 1942
4 May 1942 - Admitted to Royal Masonic hospital, discharged 17 May 1942
17 to 25 May 1942 - Sick leave granted on recommendation of OC QAM hospital
11 June 1943 - On Temporary duty. Left London for Washington
1 July 1943 - Returned London from Washington
4 Oct 1943 - Posted to M.O.1 (JP) as General Staff Officer 1. Relinquishes appointment as General Staff Officer 1, M.O.1 (JP) War Office and posted to HQ
4 Oct 1943 - Acting Lieutenant Colonel
4 Jan 1944- Granted temp rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and War subs rank of Major, HQ SAC SEA
1 Feb 1944 - South East Asia Command as General Staff Officer 1 (Int). Appointed General Staff Officer 1, and retains temp rank of Lieutenant Colonel
23 Sept 1944 - Proceeded to UK by air, to attend staff study period, at Combined Operations HQ
27 Dec 1944 - Admitted to 48 Indian General Hospital
3 Jan 1945 - Discharged 48 Indian General Hospital
25 Nov 1945 - Entered Field Service Concessional Area
9 Feb 1946 - Proceeded to AEAC Liaison mission, Australia on temp duty. Left Field Service Concessional Area
23 Feb 1946 - Returned from temp duty. Re-entered Field Service Concessional Area. Granted 28 days SEWLRON and 28 days war leave (56 days ?) ? proceeded to Burma VISTA T.C.
10 March 1946 - Left Field Service Concessional Area
1 June 1946 - Relinquishes appointment as General Staff Officer 1, and retained temp rank. Posted to Security Intelligence Far East , South East Area Command. Address, 17 Seleaana Barracks, Singapore
8 July 1946 - Appointed General Staff Officer 2, Security Intelligence Far East and reverts to War sub Major
16 Sept 1947 - Far East Land Force Command (Security Intelligence Far East ) emplaned Negombo and deplaned Singapore. Far East Land Force Command (Secretary of Intelligence (Far East))
24 Sept 1947 - Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
10 Nov 1947 - Proceeded on temp duty to War Office
27 Oct 1948 to 31 Oct 1948 - Extended current deferment of Python, Far East Land Force
12 April 1949 - Embarked Singapore to UK
9 May 1949 to 19 May 1949 - Disembarked ex Far East Land Force to depot surplus, Pocklington
17 June to 6 July 1949 - From depot surplus, to be specially employed, not renumerated from Army funds, with effect from 6 July 1949, Pocklington
1 Jan 1950 Retires and awarded Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He subsequently worked for the Ministry of Defence until 1969, largely it seems for the Secret Intelligence Service, with his work featuring in Peter Wright's notorious book “Spycatcher”.
Woodman’s Folly, Crockham Hill, Edenbridge, Kent
London Gazette 1946
London Gazette 1950
British Intelligence and the Japanese Challenge in Asia, 1914–1941, A. Best
The Tatler 04 November 1936
MOD Service Record via Chris Perry