Humph Lyttelton.

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by von Poop, Apr 28, 2008.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Yes, great man, and great radio - my listening and enjoyment of R4 will be all the poorer now he's gone.
     
  3. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    I remember hearing some of his jazz work and it was fantastic.
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    See he was commissioned in the Grenadier Guards, well I never knew that.

    Pity I still haven't bought the Regimental History, I could have looked him up.

    (I never listen to Radio 4 and I'm not that keen on Jazz.)
     
  5. cash_13

    cash_13 Senior Member

    Very sad I was brought up on jazz and big band music as my father was in the Ted Heath Orchestra......
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I can't find any reference to Humph in the Gren Gds History but there were two other Lyttelton's who both died of wounds.
    I imagine they were cousins, maybe?

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    <TABLE class=datatable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="97%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR id=tr_name><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Name:</TH><TD id=td_name>LYTTELTON, JOHN ANTHONY</TD></TR><TR id=tr_initials><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Initials:</TH><TD id=td_initials>J A</TD></TR><TR id=tr_nationality><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Nationality:</TH><TD id=td_nationality>United Kingdom</TD></TR><TR id=tr_rank><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Rank:</TH><TD id=td_rank>Lieutenant</TD></TR><TR id=tr_regiment><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Regiment/Service:</TH><TD id=td_regiment>Grenadier Guards</TD></TR><TR id=tr_unittext><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Unit Text:</TH><TD id=td_unittext>5th Bn.</TD></TR><!-- <tr> <td vAlign="top" align="left" width="30%">Force:</td> <td id="td_force"></td> </tr>--><TR id=tr_age><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Age:</TH><TD id=td_age>22</TD></TR><TR id=tr_death><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Date of Death:</TH><TD id=td_death>24/02/1944</TD></TR><TR id=tr_service><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Service No:</TH><TD id=td_service>219021</TD></TR><TR id=tr_information><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Additional information:</TH><TD id=td_information>Son of Sibell Eleanor Maud Lyttelton, and stepson of Roger Thomas Baldwin Fulford, of Westminster, London.</TD></TR><TR id=tr_type><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Casualty Type:</TH><TD id=td_type>Commonwealth War Dead</TD></TR><TR id=tr_grave><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Grave/Memorial Reference:</TH><TD id=td_grave>I, J, 9.</TD></TR><TR id=tr_cemetery><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Cemetery:</TH><TD id=td_cemetery>ANZIO WAR CEMETERY</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    <TABLE class=datatable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="97%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR id=tr_name><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Name:</TH><TD id=td_name>LYTTELTON, JULIAN</TD></TR><TR id=tr_initials><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Initials:</TH><TD id=td_initials>J</TD></TR><TR id=tr_nationality><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Nationality:</TH><TD id=td_nationality>United Kingdom</TD></TR><TR id=tr_rank><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Rank:</TH><TD id=td_rank>Lieutenant</TD></TR><TR id=tr_regiment><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Regiment/Service:</TH><TD id=td_regiment>Grenadier Guards</TD></TR><TR id=tr_unittext><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Unit Text:</TH><TD id=td_unittext>3rd Bn.</TD></TR><!-- <tr> <td vAlign="top" align="left" width="30%">Force:</td> <td id="td_force"></td> </tr>--><TR id=tr_age><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Age:</TH><TD id=td_age>21</TD></TR><TR id=tr_death><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Date of Death:</TH><TD id=td_death>11/10/1944</TD></TR><TR id=tr_service><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Service No:</TH><TD id=td_service>253892</TD></TR><TR id=tr_information><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Additional information:</TH><TD id=td_information>Son of Capt. the Rt. Hon. Oliver Lyttelton, P.C., D.S.O., M.C., M.P., Grenadier Guards, and Lady Moira Lyttelton, of Downton, Wiltshire.</TD></TR><TR id=tr_type><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Casualty Type:</TH><TD id=td_type>Commonwealth War Dead</TD></TR><TR id=tr_grave><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Grave/Memorial Reference:</TH><TD id=td_grave>II, B, 11.</TD></TR><TR id=tr_cemetery><TH vAlign=top align=right width="30%">Cemetery:</TH><TD id=td_cemetery>SANTERNO VALLEY WAR CEMETERY</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
     
  8. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    I can't find any reference to Humph in the Gren Gds History but there were two other Lyttelton's who both died of wounds.
    I imagine they were cousins, maybe?


    <table class="datatable" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="97%"><tbody><tr id="tr_name"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Name:</th><td id="td_name">LYTTELTON, JULIAN</td></tr><tr id="tr_initials"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Initials:</th><td id="td_initials">J</td></tr><tr id="tr_nationality"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Nationality:</th><td id="td_nationality">United Kingdom</td></tr><tr id="tr_rank"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Rank:</th><td id="td_rank">Lieutenant</td></tr><tr id="tr_regiment"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Regiment/Service:</th><td id="td_regiment">Grenadier Guards</td></tr><tr id="tr_unittext"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Unit Text:</th><td id="td_unittext">3rd Bn.</td></tr><!-- <tr> <td vAlign="top" align="left" width="30%">Force:</td> <td id="td_force"></td> </tr>--><tr id="tr_age"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Age:</th><td id="td_age">21</td></tr><tr id="tr_death"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Date of Death:</th><td id="td_death">11/10/1944</td></tr><tr id="tr_service"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Service No:</th><td id="td_service">253892</td></tr><tr id="tr_information"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Additional information:</th><td id="td_information">Son of Capt. the Rt. Hon. Oliver Lyttelton, P.C., D.S.O., M.C., M.P., Grenadier Guards, and Lady Moira Lyttelton, of Downton, Wiltshire.</td></tr><tr id="tr_type"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Casualty Type:</th><td id="td_type">Commonwealth War Dead</td></tr><tr id="tr_grave"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Grave/Memorial Reference:</th><td id="td_grave">II, B, 11.</td></tr><tr id="tr_cemetery"><th align="right" valign="top" width="30%">Cemetery:</th><td id="td_cemetery">SANTERNO VALLEY WAR CEMETERY</td></tr></tbody></table>

    Julian Lyttelton's father was Churchill's President of the Board of Trade, Minister of State in the Middle East and Minister of Production. He was cousins with Charles Lyttelton the 8th Viscount Cobham who was Humph's grandfather. So Oliver and Humph were first cousins once removed...
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I had a look in Ponsonby's Grenadier Guards in Great War and Oliver Lyttelton was Adjutant of 3GG . He was awarded his DSO sometime in 1916. There's a few references to him including throwing a revolver at a German to make them think it was a grenade in a scrap in a trench.
    I could post more if anyone is interested?
    Thanks for the extra family info WotNoChad
    PS Have you got a real name?
     
  10. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    Aye it's Phil or Philip. depending on your mood.

    I'd be interested in more info.
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Ok, Phil.
    Second Lieutenant O Lyttelton joined 2nd Bn Gren Gds on 23rd February 1915 when they were in the area of Bethune.
    A list of Officers of 2GG for 1/5/15 has him in Number 4 Company.
    They were in the line near Givenchy and involved in the Battle of Festubert, later than month.
    19th August 2GG left 2 Div to join the new Guards Division, 2GG were palyed off by the Divisional band up the road to Lillers and on the way were joined by Major-General Lord Cavan accompanied by Major Darrell and Lieutenant Lyttelton.
    I don't know where he goes after that , (maybe to Bde or Div HQ) as the next we read of him is 15th October 1915 when he joins 3GG as their Adjutant.
    They were in the line opposite "Big Willie".
    He is Adjutant of 3GG all through 1916 and was now a Captain. He is listed as Acting Captain.
    During the fighting on the Somme on September 15th, during the Guards Divisions advance a gap appears between two of the Guards battalions so Captain O Lyttelton pushed up 100 men of 3GG to fill the space but due to smoke and dust they lost contact with 3GG and could only link up with 1CG.

    Later the site of the Germans retiring led to several Guards officers organising a further push.
    One of those was Capt Lyttelton, who with the others is described as the type of officer "who were never content with simply carrying out their orders, but would instantly take advantage of any weakness in the German defence to drive a success home."

    Capt Lyttelton led 120 men of 3GG together with officers and men of other Guards Battalions pushed on unopposed for 800 yards.
    They found an unoccupied trench and stayed there to await reinforcements.
    They were there until about 6pm when the Germans counterattacked in force and the Guards put up a good fight until they had to leave.
    That was when Capt Lyttelton was surrounded and threw the pistol at the Germans who thinking it was a Mills bomb ducked allowing Capt Lyttelton to escape.

    Capt Lyttleton was still Adjutant in January 1917 but by this time he has a DSO,
    I'm not sure where he went in 1917 but by April he is not listed with 3GG.


    His son had rather alot to live up to and died trying it seems.
    Hope this is of interest.

    Photo of him here.
    >> Oliver Lyttelton

    [​IMG]

    After serving with 3GG he went onto Brigade Staff.
    Book Review: From Peace to War
     
  12. WotNoChad?

    WotNoChad? Senior Member

    Excellent stuff. All the Guards regt's put up a good fight during WWI it was rewarded in 1919 by the King when he replaced the rank of private with that of guardsman.

    I did try to have a butchers at the Guards info on Site Temporarily Unavailable but it looks like that site is down, do hope it hasn't folded.

    cheers,
     
  13. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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