Antony Henry Head, 1st Viscount Head, (19 December 1906 – 29 March 1983) was a British soldier,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician and diplomat.

Background and education

Head was the son of Geoffrey Head and Ethel Daisy, daughter of Arthur Flower. He was educated at

Ludgrove School Ludgrove School is an English independent boys preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed as a master at Elstree School, which sent b ...

, Eton and the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infant ...

Military career

A career soldier, Head was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars on 30 August 1926. He later joined the Life Guards, serving through the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and achieving the rank of

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

. He was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

(MC) on 20 December 1940.

Political career

Head was elected

MP for

Carshalton Carshalton () is a town, with a historic village centre, in south London, England, within the London Borough of Sutton. It is situated south-southwest of Charing Cross, in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalto ...

in 1945. He served as Secretary of State for War from 1951 to 1956 and as

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

(with a seat in the cabinet) from 1956 to 1957, in the administrations of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

and Anthony Eden. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1951 and in 1960 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Head, of Throope in the County of Wiltshire. He was later

High Commissioner to Nigeria Countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations typically exchange High Commissioners, rather than ambassadors. Though there are a few technical differences, they are in practice one and the same office. The following persons have served as ...

from 1960 to 1963 and High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1963 to 1966. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 1961 New Year Honours and promoted to be Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1963.

Family

Lord Head married Lady Dorothea Louise (29 April 1907 – 1987), daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, on 23 July 1935. They had four children: * Richard Antony Head, 2nd Viscount Head (b. 27 February 1937) *Teresa Mary Head (b. 20 June 1938) *Simon Andrew Head (b. 11 November 1944) *Josephine Head (24 May 1948 – 9 October 1949) Lord Head died in March 1983, aged 76, and was succeeded in the viscountcy by his eldest son, Richard.

Arms

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. *

External links

Generals of World War II
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Head, Antony Head, 1st Viscount 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars officers 1906 births 1983 deaths British Army brigadiers of World War II British Life Guards officers Head, Anthony Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Malaysia High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Nigeria Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Eden government, 1955–1957 Officers of the Order of St John People educated at Eton College Recipients of the Military Cross UK MPs 1945–1950 UK MPs 1950–1951 UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs who were granted peerages Viscounts created by Elizabeth II People educated at Ludgrove School