HL Deb 20 May 1941 vol 119 cc195-9
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (LORD MOYNE)

My Lords, I regret that in accordance with our usual practice I have formally to report three losses which have befallen the House. The first is that of our old friend Black Rod, who was familiar to all of us for many years past. He was appointed Black Rod in 1920, and since then his genial personality made him, I am sure, a great friend of every one of us. He was a man of very active habits, and he would have found an invalid life almost intolerable, so that we can at least be thankful that he was spared a long illness. He had lived a very full and varied life. In his early career, he alternated between the Scots Guards and employment under the Foreign Office in the African Protectorate of Uganda and in the Congo. When he first found an opening in command in South Africa he did very well with his column, and when the Great War came, from the start he commanded the Third Corps, retaining that command until the beginning of 1918. Some Corps Commanders were rather aloof from their troops, but I am sure that the many noble Lords who passed through his Corps will remember that that was never the way with "Putty." He was always trusted, and indeed beloved, by those who came in contact with him. He had an extraordinary power, in the Army, of inspiring confidence, and I am quite sure that many will feel a deep sense of personal loss and long miss "Putty's" friendly presence and cheery smile.

The noble Earl, Lord Liverpool, was a distinguished member of the Liberal Party who often took part in debates in your Lordships' House. He was the first Governor-General of New Zealand, being in office as Governor when the Dominion was first formed. In early life he had done soldiering, and it was characteristic of him that at the age of seventy he went back to the Home Guard.

The noble Earl, Lord Suffolk, who was not very well known to your Lordships, met his death in an air-raid. He was a man in early middle life, of varied experience and great promise, having done scientific work of distinction and lately having accepted a post of importance in connection with his special subject under the Government. I am sure your Lordships will wish me, on your behalf, to express our sympathy with Lady Pulteney, the Countess of Liverpool, the Countess of Suffolk, and their bereaved families.

THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, on behalf of those who sit on these Benches, I should like to endorse everything the noble Lord opposite has said. We all remember the unfailing courtesy and friendliness which Sir William Pulteney showed when we went to him with the customary request, and also the great dignity and efficiency with which he performed the complicated ceremonial duties connected with his office. We should like to offer our very sincere sympathy to the members of his family, and also our grateful appreciation of his long and distinguished record of public service. Your Lordships' House has suffered two further grievous losses, to which the noble Lord has referred, in the deaths of Lord Liverpool and Lord Suffolk, and we should like to extend our sympathy also to the members of their families.

VISCOUNT SAMUEL

My Lords, in these days we have to deplore many deaths, in addition to those due to the ordinary lot of mortality, through the tragic events of the war. Now your Lordships' House has again been bereaved by the death by enemy action of Lord Suffolk. Although, as the Leader of the House has said, he was not so well known as others in this assembly, we knew he had a distinguished scientific career and combined the most ancient lineage with the most modern learning. Lord Liverpool, to us on these Benches, was a lifelong colleague in political matters. He held the high office, first of Governor, and then, when New Zealand was raised from the rank of Colony to that of Dominion, he became its first Governor-General. We remember his long career in various spheres of public service, and grieve for his loss. Our own Black Rod, Sir William Pulteney, after a most distinguished military career that raised him to the very high post of commander of an Army Corps in the Great War, retired to the peaceful avocations of the office of Black Rod. We all remember his kindly, friendly personality, and for his death also we express our regret and our sympathy with those who have teen bereaved.

THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY

My Lords, will you grant me indulgence to add a few words to those which have already been said regarding the loss your Lordships' House has sustained? I should like especially to refer to Sir William Pulteney, Black Rod, to whom the Leader of the House has made such touching reference. I suppose that in this House there is no one who has been more closely associated for a longer time with Sir William Pulteney than myself, and I am sure the House will feel that it has suffered a severe; loss in the death of Black Rod, who discharged the duties of his office so faithfully and well. Apart from his duties in your Lordships' House, reference has been made by noble Lords to his career in the Army. I am sure your Lordships will agree with me that the one great thing in Sir William Pulteney's career, and the example for all of us that he set, was his stem adherence to duty and his determination to do his best whatever vocation he was called upon to fill. Many of his intimate friends, like myself, and a much wider circle have. I feel, suffered a severe loss.

THE EARL OF CLANWILLIAM

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Londonderry has spoken of Sir William Pulteney. May I add one word about Lord Suffolk? I feel rather sad to-day because if it had not been for me Lord Suffolk might perhaps have been with us still. When the war broke out Lord Suffolk, who had already suffered from rheumatic fever, was unable to join the infantry, and through one of the members of His Majesty's Government I was able to get him into the Ministry of Supply. There he did extraordinarily well. As the noble Viscount, Lord Samuel, has already told your Lordships, he had a great career before him in the scientific world. He had spent years at Edinburgh learning chemistry and it was for this reason that he was taken into the Ministry of Supply. There he was thought so well of that the Government sent him to Paris as liaison officer between the French Government and the English Government. When the Germans went into Norway the Allies used some particular chemical, the only supply of which was in Norway, and they got it to Paris. When the débâcle took place in France Lord Suffolk, on his own initiative and with great enterprise, seized this supply of chemical and took it to Bordeaux. Having got it as far as Bordeaux, he had next to get it to England. He went on board a French battleship and demanded an escort and a machine gun and got them. He put them into a lorry and took this precious consignment of chemicals—the only supply in the world—and brought it to England together with a large supply of diamonds. He got the chemicals and diamonds and the escort all safely to England.

After that, Lord Suffolk was employed by the Ministry of Supply in England and he took on the most dangerous work of destroying unexploded bombs. He spent all his time doing that. One morning I met him and said "Where are you going?" "I am going," he replied, "to Richmond Park." I asked what he was going to do there and he answered, "I am going to deal with unexploded bombs." I asked him if there were many there and he said, "Yes, twenty or thirty." I saw him in the evening and said how glad I was to see him back alive. He might have just come back from a day's shooting. This brave man thought nothing of dealing with unexploded bombs. I would like to add this tribute to him because I think he was not well known in your Lordships' House. We shall never see him here again and I think this tribute ought to be included in your Lordships' records. As Lord Samuel said, he was the head of a great family of very ancient lineage. His father died for his country in Mesopotamia in the last war and he has died for his country to-day. While the heads of our great families continue to show this great example we need have no fear for England.