Captain the Honourable Thomas Pitt Hamilton Cholmondeley, 4th Baron Delamere of Vale Royal, Whitegate, Northwich, Cheshire - known to all as Tom Delamere. He was the only son of 3rd Baron Delamere, Hugh Cholmondeley of Delamere of Vale Royal and Lady Florence Anne Cole.
Tom spent a lot of time in Kenya at the large Soysambu estate, where he became known as one of "The Happy Valley Set", a group of aristocrats and adventurers who settled in the "Happy Valley" region of the Wanjohi Valley, in colonial Kenya
He married three times; Phyllis Scott married 1924 divorced 1944, Ruth Ashley married 1944 divorced 1955 and
Diana Caldwell married 1955, she out lived Tom dying 3 Sep 1987 aged 76. Her first husband was accused of murdering her lover in 1941 and she is played by Greta Scacchi in the film "White Mischief" about the affair.
Later in life he was Chairman of Everett Advertising Ltd. and Director of Proved Securities Ltd. Tom died in Kenya in 1979.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleshill House, GHQ | Camp Commandant | 05 Aug 1942 | 12 Apr 1944 |
| The Transport Office | Motor Transport Officer | 05 Aug 1942 | 12 Apr 1944 |
Eton
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Tom attended Eton school in Windsor where he joined the Eton Contingent and was made a Lance Corporal. From here he went to Officer Training Corps.
30 June 1923 - Regular Army Reserve of Officers, supplementary list, London
16 Jan 1924 - Confirmed in appointment, Aldershot
25 June 1924 - Resigned Commission, Aldershot. His name moved to the Reserve Officers List.
18 Sept 1939 - Granted an emergency commission, in Welsh Guards. To be 2nd Lieutenant, London. Posted to training battalion, Welsh Guards, Theydon Bois, Epping Forest district of Essex.
5 Nov 1939 - Posted to Guards depot, Caterham
5 Jan 1940 - Posted to training battalion, Colchester
17 June 1940 - War sub Lieutenant
17 June 1940 - Granted unpaid acting rank of Captain, Esher. Appointed Adjutant, training battalion, Esher
30 Sept 1940 - To be temporary Captain.
24 Jan 1942 - Passed DM course, Esher
5 Aug 1942 - To be General Staff Officer 3, GHQ Auxiliary Units, Highworth. Relinquishes appointment of Adjutant, Esher
2 - 7 Feb 1943 - Sick in quarters
12 April 1944 - Struck of strength and posted to London District, with effect from 12 April 1944, retaining temp rank of Captain Relinquishes the appointment of General Staff Officer 3, Auxiliary Units, on posting, with effect from 12 April 1944
13 April 1944 - To be General Staff Officer 3 (Allied military liaison officer) HQ, London district
12 Nov 1944 - Relinquishes the appointment of General Staff Officer 3, (Military liaison officer) London district
12 Nov 1944 - Posted to training battalion, Welsh Guards. Relinquished temporary Captain
27 Nov 1944 - Released from Military duty.
There is no record of any active service with the Welsh Guards.
He was appointed as Second Commandant by Lord Glanusk in August 1942 at Coleshill House. While at Coleshill he had the Grade 1 Non Commissioned Officers downgraded, as he was worried about the "old hands" having too much power. He got his friend Marcus Wickham-Boynton into the Auxiliary Units set up at Coleshill and the two of them judged the Patrols drill.
Eric Gray recalled he was quite generous and he personally paid for the Transport Platoon to go and see the pantomime at Christmas in Oxford.
Tom Delamere does not seem to have served anywhere else other than Coleshill, no medals were awarded.
When the Grass Stops Growing, Carol Mather
Eric Gray
Service record from MOD via Chris Perry