Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gilbert John Acland-Troyte CMG, DSO, JP (4 September 1876 – 27 April 1964)^[1] was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician.

[edit] Background

He was the third son of Colonel Charles Arthur William Troyte and his wife Katherine Mary Walrond, daughter of Sir John Walrond, 1st Baronet.^[2] Acland-Troyte was educated at Eton College and then at Trinity College, Cambridge^[3]

[edit] Career

In 1896, Acland-Troyte served as second lieutenant in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, Devonshire Regiment^[4] He was transferred to the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1899^[5] and fought in the Second Boer War one year later, where he was dangerously wounded.^[6] He was with his regiment in Somaliland between 1903 and 1904 and was afterwards promoted to lieutenant.^[7] He became captain already in 1905, for services to the Colonial Office.^[8]

During the First World War, Acland-Troyte was mentioned in despatches seven times.^[9] He was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General in the beginning of 1915^[10] and was promoted to major in September.^[11] In the following year, Acland-Troyte was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order^[12] and in 1917, he was awarded a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).^[13] After the war, he received the French Croix de Guerre in January 1919^[14] and retired as brevet lieutenant-colonel only few months later.^[15] With the begin of the Second World War, he was reactivated and joined the British Home Guard in 1940.^[16]

Acland-Troyte contested Tiverton unsuccessfully in a by-election in 1923.^[16] He entered the British House of Commons for the constituency in the following year, sitting for it until 1945.^[1] Following his retirement from politics, he was knighted^[17] and a year later was nominated Master of Foxhounds of Tiverton, Devon, an office he held until 1950.^[6] He represented the latter county as Justice of the Peace and alderman.^[2] In 1937, Acland was elected president of the Central Landowners Association, which post he left after two years.^[16]

[edit] Family

On 12 October 1909, he married Gwladys Eleanor Quicke, daughter of Ernest Henry Godolphin Quicke.^[6] Acland-Troyte died in 1964, childless and was survived by his wife for your years.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Gilbert Acland-Troyte