Person:William Strang (6)

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William Strang, 1st Baron Strang (2 January 1893 – 27 May 1978) was a British diplomat who served as a leading adviser to the British Government from the 1930s to the 1950s and as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office from 1949 to 1953.

William John Strang was the Lord Strang noted in history books. He was head of the British Foreign Office 1949-53 and the author of "Home and Abroad."

• The following is a precis of important dates:

1893: Born, son of James Strang, Englefield, Berks Educated at Palmer's School.

1912: B.A., University College, London.

1913: Quain Essay, Sorbonne. 1914-1918: Served with 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and at H.Q. 29th Division.

1918: M.B.E.

1919: Entered Foreign Office. 3rd Secretary, Belgrade. 1920: Married Elsie Wynn, daughter of J.E. Jones. (1 son and 1 daughter)

1920-1922: 2nd Secretary, Belgrade.

1923-1930: Foreign Office, London.

1925: 1st Secretary.

1930: Acting Counsellor of Embassy, Moscow.

1932: C.M.G. Counsellor of Embassy, Moscow.

1939: C.B. 1939-1943: Assistant Under-Secretary of State in Foreign Office

1943: K.C.M.G. 1943-1945: U.K. Representative on European Advisory Commission with rank of Ambassador. 1945-1947: Political Adviser to C-in-C British Forces of Occupation in Germany.

1946: Fellow of University College, London.

1947-1949: Permanent Under-Secretary, F.O. (German Section)

1948: K.C.B. 1949-1953: Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office.

1950: G.C.M.G.

1953: Retired from Foreign Office. G.C.B. 1954: Hon. LL.D (London) Created 1st Baron Strang of Stonesfield. 1954-1966: Chairman, National Parks Commission. Member Nature Conservancy. STRN 1955: Chairman, Food Hygiene Advisory Council. Published book, The Foreign Office.

1956: Published book, Home and Abroad. 1958-1965: Chairman, Royal Institute of International Affairs.

1961: Published book, Britain in World Affairs. 1962: Published book, The Diplomatic Career. Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Committees, House of Lords.

1978: Died.

• obtained at http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk/html/014-strn.htmWikipedia( an internet encyclopedia) has this to say about him: William Strang, 1st Baron Strang GCMG , KCB (January_2 1893-27 May 1978) was a British diplomat who served as a leading adviser to the British Government from the 1930s to the 1950s and as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office from 1949 to 1953. Strang was the eldest son of James Strang, a farmer, and his wife Margaret Steven, daughter of William Steven. He was educated at , University College, London </wiki/University_College%2C_London> and at the Sorbonne </wiki/Sorbonne>. Strang served in the First World War </wiki/First_World_War> and was awarded the MBE </wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire> (military) in 1918. The following year he joined the Diplomatic Service and served at the British embassy in Belgrade </wiki/Belgrade> from 1919 to 1922, at the Foreign Office </wiki/Foreign_and_Commonwealth_Office> from 1922 to 1930 and at the embassy in Moscow </wiki/Moscow> from 1930 to 1933. During his time in Moscow he played an important role in the Metro-Vickers </wiki/Vickers> engineers trial, in which six British engineers were accused of spying. He returned to the Foreign Office in 1933, and held office as head of the League of Nations </wiki/League_of_Nations> section until 1937 and of the Central Department from 1937 to 1939. From 1939 to 1943 he was assistant under-secretary of state for Europe. During the 1930s he was an adviser to the government at the major international meetings, and met Mussolini </wiki/Benito_Mussolini>, Hitler </wiki/Adolf_Hitler> and Stalin </wiki/Joseph_Stalin>. He was a tacit opponent of appeasement </wiki/Appeasement_of_Hitler>, but always stayed loyal to the government. He continued as an adviser during and after the Second World War </wiki/Second_World_War> and was present at the major conferences between the Allied </wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II> leaders. In 1943 Strang was appointed the British representative on the European Advisory Commission </wiki/European_Advisory_Commission>, with the rank of ambassador. The commission was set up by the Allies to study the possible post-war political problems in Europe and make recommendations. In this role Strang was considered a great success. The commission was dissolved at the Potsdam Conference </wiki/Potsdam_Conference> in 1945 and Strang was appointed political adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Germany </wiki/Germany>, Bernard Montgomery </wiki/Bernard_Montgomery%2C_1st_Viscount_Montgomery_of_Alamein>.Strang again returned to the Foreign Office in 1947 and served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State </wiki/Foreign_and_Commonwealth_Office> for the German section from 1947 to 1949 and as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs </wiki/Foreign_and_Commonwealth_Office> from 1949 to 1953. The six years Strang served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State saw the gradual recovery of Europe through the Marshall Plan </wiki/Marshall_Plan>, the establishment of the Western European Union </wiki/Western_European_Union> and NATO </wiki/NATO> and the breaking of the Berlin blockade </wiki/Berlin_blockade>. He retired from the Foreign Office in 1953. Strang was made a CMG Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George in 1932, a CB </wiki/Order_of_the_Bath> in 1939, a KCMG </wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George> in 1943, a GCMG </wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George> in 1950 and a KCB </wiki/Order_of_the_Bath> in 1953. In 1954 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Strang of Stonesfield </wiki/Stonesfield> in the County of Oxford </wiki/County_of_Oxford>. He later served as a Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords </wiki/House_of_Lords> and was also Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs </wiki/Royal_Institute_of_International_Affairs> and of the college committee of University College, London </wiki/University_College%2C_London>. He published The Foreign Office (1955), Britain in World Affairs (1961) and Diplomatic Career (1962) as well as his autobiography Home and Abroad (1956). Lord Strang died at the age of 85. In 1920, he married Elsie Wynne Jones, daughter of Josias E. Jones. They had one daughter and one son, Colin </w/index.php?title=Colin_Strang%2C_2nd_Baron_Strang&action=edit>, who succeeded him in the barony.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Isa Cleland. Information that Isa researched on the Shearers. (This information was gathered by Isa until her death in 1999. Most is copied from the Shearer Family Tree.).
2.   William Strang, 1st Baron Strang, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.