Lieutenant-Colonel George Frederick Doland

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(1 May 1872 – 26 November 1946) was a British businessman and

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

politician. A native of the

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

area, Doland was a merchant tailor, who established a chain of shops in south-west London. In 1912, he entered local politics and was elected as a

Municipal Reform Party The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 194 ...

member of

Wandsworth Borough Council Wandsworth London Borough Council, also known as Wandsworth Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Wandsworth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour m ...

for

Balham Balham () is an List of areas of London, area in south-west London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, with small parts extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. It has been settled since Saxon times and appears in t ...

ward. He served on Wandsworth council for more than a quarter of a century, and was mayor of the borough in 1928-29 and 1933–34. In

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, he was elected to the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

as a Municipal Reform councilor for Balham and Tooting, and retained the seat in

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...

. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant for the

County of London The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...

in 1938. Doland was too old for active service in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but became a member of the Volunteer Training Force. He was granted a commission as a temporary major in the County of London Motor Volunteer Corps in 1917, and was promoted to temporary lieutenant-colonel. He was subsequently a member of the

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

Motor Transport (Volunteers), and resigned his commission in 1921. He was permitted to retain the honorary rank of "lieutenant-colonel". In June 1936, Sir Alfred Butt, the sitting Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Balham and Tooting resigned following a scandal concerning the leak of details of the budget. Doland was chosen to be Conservative candidate for the resulting

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

, and was unopposed by the other parties forming the

Coalition Government A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a government by political parties that enter into a power-sharing arrangement of the executive. Coalition governments usually occur when no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an ...

. In a straight fight with W G Miller of the Labour Party, he retained the seat with a majority of 2,070 votes. Doland was a member of the

Commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

for nine years. Elections were cancelled on the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939, and the next general election was not called until 1945. As he was over seventy years of age, Doland chose to retire from parliament. He died in November 1946, aged 74, from complications following a medical operation. He was cremated at

Putney Vale Cemetery Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in southwest London is located in Putney Vale, surrounded by Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. It is located within of parkland. The cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 193 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doland, George Frederick 1872 births 1946 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1935–1945 Members of London County Council Royal Army Service Corps officers Municipal Reform Party politicians Members of Wandsworth Metropolitan Borough Council British Army personnel of World War I Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire