Alun Gwynne-Jones, Baron Chalfont
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The Right Honourable The Lord Chalfont OBE MC PC |
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|---|---|
Chalfont during a visit to Germany in 1966
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| Born |
Alun Arthur Gwynne Jones 5 December 1919 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation |
Politician Lord Provest |
| Political party |
Labour Crossbencher |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army
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| Years of service | 1939–61 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Service number | 156400 |
| Unit | South Wales Borderers |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Efficiency Medal |
Alun Arthur Gwynne Jones, Baron Chalfont, OBE, MC, PC (born 5 December 1919) is a British politician, retired British Army officer and historian.
Gwynne Jones was educated at West Monmouth School, and subsequently at the School of Slavonic Studies in the University of London. Joining the South Wales Borderers when the Second World War broke out, he was commissioned a second lieutenant on 2 November 1940. From 1941 to 1944 he fought in Burma alongside the Welsh poet Alun Lewis. On 1 January 1943, he received an emergency commission in the Royal Armoured Corps as a war-substantive lieutenant, with the same rank in the South Wales Borderers from 1 April. After the war, Gwynne Jones remained in the Army, receiving a substantive lieutenant's commission in the South Wales Borderers on 24 August 1946 (with seniority from 5 June 1942), and was promoted to captain on 5 December. He was awarded the Efficiency Medal in October 1950. Promoted to major on 5 December 1953, Gwynne Jones took part in a series of anti-terrorist campaigns, and was decorated with the Military Cross (MC) in August 1957 for commanding a company which fought in the Malaysian jungles during the Malayan Emergency, after his involvement in a series of ambushes against communists. Gwynne Jones later stated, "I was lucky enough to carry out some successful ones." The citation reads as follows:
For gallantry and relentless determination during a period of eighteen months in command of his company in jungle operations. By his personal share in difficult, hazardous and successful operations, he set a fine example to those around him.
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Wikipedia