John Desmond Brayley
Encyclopedia
John Desmond Brayley, Baron Brayley MC
(29 January 1917 – 16 March 1977) was a British
Army
officer and businessman who had a brief, scandal-hit career as a Government minister.
by birth, having been born in Pontypridd
, Glamorgan
. He went to the local grammar school
. At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Artillery
and later became a physical training instructor. He was an enthusiastic boxer
and became Army
Boxing Champion. During the war he served in the Parachute Regiment, winning the Military Cross
in 1942 for action in the North African desert campaign. He was part of a unit - a forerunner for today's special forces
, set up to train soldiers to parachute
behind enemy lines and cause as much disruption to the enemy as possible. He also served in Sicily
and Crete
and was mentioned in despatches (23 September 1943).
which did well through his discovery of markets for its glass bottles. He then moved to manufacturing in Canning Town
Glassworks Group, where he became chairman in 1961. He never claimed to know anything about glass, only how to run a team and he built up the company, which made substantial profits for some years.
He shared with George Wigg
, Labour's
Paymaster General an enthusiasm for horse-racing and owned several of his own horses. He was introduced to Harold Wilson
and they became friends. On the Prime Minister's defeat in 1970 Sir Desmond made his personal chauffer, Rolls-Royce and London
home available to Harold Wilson
, who later recommended Brayley for a Knighthood. In 1973 Sir Desmond was nominated for a peerage
as Baron Brayley of the City of Cardiff.
He was awarded government office in March 1974 as Under Secretary for the Army. At this point he resigned as chairman of his company, and sold his shares for over £1 million. After inquiries were made into a company with which he had been involved, he signed a letter of resignation rather than cause the Prime Minister any embarrassment. Despite an initial but extensive enquiry into his business dealings nothing was ever proved before his death in 1977.
He became a Deputy Lieutenant
for Greater London
in 1970, was a justice of the peace
for Middlesex
, and at one time chairman and trustee of the Saints and Sinners Club in London
.
, and also Hailey House, a country house in Oxfordshire
. He was noted as a free spending extrovert by some, and enjoyed returning to Cardiff
for social occasions and to watch Wales
play rugby
from the balcony of his apartment. He was a keen yachtsman and owned 'Natalie' a 527 tonne, 177 foot classic motor yacht. He was also a keen angler, and civilian air pilot.
Despite his considerable wealth he never forgot his roots and was deeply affected by the poverty surrounding him when he grew up as a boy in the Rhondda
.[citation?]
, the show business charity organisation. He was a Freeman of the City of London
, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
, President of the Society for Mentally Handicapped Children, Patron of the Masonic Hospital, and President of the Amateur Boys Boxing Club.
His marriage was dissolved in 1960 and he is survived by two daughters and two grandsons.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(29 January 1917 – 16 March 1977) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and businessman who had a brief, scandal-hit career as a Government minister.
Army career
Brayley was WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
by birth, having been born in Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
. He went to the local grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
. At the age of 17 he joined the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and later became a physical training instructor. He was an enthusiastic boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and became Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
Boxing Champion. During the war he served in the Parachute Regiment, winning the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1942 for action in the North African desert campaign. He was part of a unit - a forerunner for today's special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
, set up to train soldiers to parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
behind enemy lines and cause as much disruption to the enemy as possible. He also served in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and was mentioned in despatches (23 September 1943).
Business and Political Career
In 1946 he joined Phoenix Glass Co Ltd, BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
which did well through his discovery of markets for its glass bottles. He then moved to manufacturing in Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
Glassworks Group, where he became chairman in 1961. He never claimed to know anything about glass, only how to run a team and he built up the company, which made substantial profits for some years.
He shared with George Wigg
George Wigg
George Edward Cecil Wigg, Baron Wigg PC was a British politician who only served in relatively junior offices but had a great deal of influence behind the scenes, especially with Harold Wilson. Wigg served in the British Army for almost all his career up to his election as Member of Parliament...
, Labour's
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Paymaster General an enthusiasm for horse-racing and owned several of his own horses. He was introduced to Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and they became friends. On the Prime Minister's defeat in 1970 Sir Desmond made his personal chauffer, Rolls-Royce and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
home available to Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, who later recommended Brayley for a Knighthood. In 1973 Sir Desmond was nominated for a peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
as Baron Brayley of the City of Cardiff.
He was awarded government office in March 1974 as Under Secretary for the Army. At this point he resigned as chairman of his company, and sold his shares for over £1 million. After inquiries were made into a company with which he had been involved, he signed a letter of resignation rather than cause the Prime Minister any embarrassment. Despite an initial but extensive enquiry into his business dealings nothing was ever proved before his death in 1977.
He became a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
in 1970, was a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and at one time chairman and trustee of the Saints and Sinners Club in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Lifestyle
Brayley was a wealthy self made man who lived in some style and had a penthouse in Arlington House, PiccadillyPiccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
, and also Hailey House, a country house in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. He was noted as a free spending extrovert by some, and enjoyed returning to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
for social occasions and to watch Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
play rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
from the balcony of his apartment. He was a keen yachtsman and owned 'Natalie' a 527 tonne, 177 foot classic motor yacht. He was also a keen angler, and civilian air pilot.
Despite his considerable wealth he never forgot his roots and was deeply affected by the poverty surrounding him when he grew up as a boy in the Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
.[citation?]
Philanthropy
As well as being a Freemason, he was on the board of The Royal Artillery Association and was a member of The Grand Order of Water RatsGrand Order of Water Rats
The Grand Order of Water Rats is an entertainment industry charity, and brotherhood, based in London. The Water Rats were founded in 1889 by comedian Joe Elvin. The first King Rat, as the head of the charity is termed, was music hall singer Harry Freeman. Comedian Dan Leno joined in 1890 and was...
, the show business charity organisation. He was a Freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
, President of the Society for Mentally Handicapped Children, Patron of the Masonic Hospital, and President of the Amateur Boys Boxing Club.
Death
Lord Brayley died in Cardiff after a short illness in March 1977 aged 60.His marriage was dissolved in 1960 and he is survived by two daughters and two grandsons.