George Harcourt Vanden-Bampde-Johnstone, 3rd Baron Derwent
George Harcourt Vanden-Bampde-Johnstone, 3rd Baron Derwent (22 October 1899 – 13 January 1949), was a British author, diplomat and Liberal politician.
Early life
Derwent was born in London on 22 October 1899 the son of Hon. Edward Henry Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, younger son of Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone, 1st Baron Derwent.[1] Derwent was educated at Charterhouse and Merton College, Oxford where he won the Newdigate Prize in 1920.[1] He succeeded as the third Baron Derwent on the death of his uncle in 1929.[1]
Diplomatic and war service
On leaving Merton he joined the diplomatic service and served as an honorary attache from 1929 at Warsaw, Brussels and Madrid.[1] At the start of the Second World War he was in Berne before he returned to the United Kingdom in 1942 to serve in the Royal Air Force until 1944.[1]
Author and poet
As an author and poet Derwent wrote under his own name but also the pen name George Vanden.[1] Two volumes of poetry were published in 1931 (Fifty Poems) and 1943 (Before Zero Hour).[1]
Politician
↑Jump back a sectionFamily Life
Derwent married Countess Sabine Czaykowska Iliesco in 1929, the daughter of Romanian General Iliesco.[2] She died in 1941 and they had no children so when Derwent died aged 49 in Paris on his way back from a health visit to Switzerland, he was succeeded by his younger brother Patrick.[1]
References
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone |
Baron Derwent 1929-1949 |
Succeeded by Patrick Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone |
