Hervey Rhodes, Baron Rhodes

Hervey Rhodes, Baron Rhodes,KG,DFC*,PC,DL(12 August 1895 – 11 September 1987) was a BritishLabour Partypolitician.

Born inSaddleworthin theWest Riding of Yorkshire,Rhodes was educated at St Mary's School,GreenfieldandHuddersfieldTechnical College. He was employed within the woollen industry.

During theFirst World Warhe served with theKing's Own Royal Lancashire Regiment,and later with theYorkshire Regiment.Seconded to theRoyal Flying Corps,Rhodes served as an observer/gunner with No. 12 Squadron flying theRE 8.The squadron was mainly engaged on reconnaissance and artillery spotting duties, but Rhodes and his usual pilot South African LtCroye Pithey,claimed as a crew a total of five enemy aircraft destroyed and a five more claimed 'out of control'. Rhodes won theDistinguished Flying Crossand Bar.He was badly wounded in September 1918, and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He left with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

During theSecond World War,Rhodes, by then a mill-owner and Chairman of theSaddleworthUrban District Council, became the commanding officer of his nearbyLocal Defence Volunteers(LDV), formed in 1940 to defend Britain against the armies of theThird Reich,then in occupation of much ofNorthern Europeand having succeeded in expelling theBritish Expeditionary Forcefrom Europe atDunkirk.

Initially, the LDV were issued only with an armband and brought along to parades and training such implements or weapons as they could improvise. Quite soon the LDV was jokingly said to stand for"Look, Duck & Vanish".The name was quickly changed to theHome Guardand within a few weeks was equipped with rifles, army pattern khaki uniform and had officers and NCOs appointed. Hervey Rhodes became the CO of the 36th (West Riding) Battalion,Duke of Wellington's Regiment.Major Rhodes (soon Lieutenant Colonel) visited the various companies, limping, complete with stick and pipe. The battalion was soon equipped with Thompson sub-machine guns and later, Sten guns and other weaponry. Rhodes served as CO of the battalion until it was disbanded. He then developed his political career, alongside his business interests at his mill inDelph.

In the1945 general election,Rhodes stood without success as the Labour candidate inRoyton,Lancashire. A few months later he was elected asMember of ParliamentforAshton-under-Lynein aby-election on 1 Octobercreated byWilliam Jowitt's elevation to the peerage.

Rhodes wasparliamentary private secretarytoHilary Marquand,asPaymaster GeneralandMinister of Pensions.In 1950, he was promoted toParliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade,serving until Labour's defeat at the1951 general election.

He served as MP until the1964 general election,when he was succeeded byRobert Sheldon.He was created alife peeron 14 September 1964 asBaron Rhodes,of Saddleworth in theWest Ridingof theCounty of York.He again held office as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade from 1964 until 1967. He served asLord Lieutenant of Lancashirefrom 1968. He was made aPrivy Counsellorin 1969, aKnight Companion of the Garterin 1972 and served as Deputy-Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchesterfrom 1974. He died in Oldham aged 92.

Coat of arms of Hervey Rhodes, Baron Rhodes

Crest A cotton plant fructed Proper between to the dexter a rose Argent and to the sinister a rose Gules both barbed and seeded stalked and leaved Proper. Escutcheon Vert semy of acorns or two trumpets in saltire the mouth pieces downward on a chief Or two Lancashire child's clogs toes inward Sable the caps and studs Or. Supporters Dexter a lion Or, sinister a ram Proper. Motto Eia Age (Come On!)

See also

• Ashton-under-Lyne (UK Parliament constituency)
• Ashton-under-Lyne by-election, 1945

References

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Hervey Rhodes