The Right Honourable The Lord Gorell |
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Lord Gorell in 1920
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Under-Secretary of State for Air | |
In office 1921–1922 |
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Preceded by | The Marquess of Londonderry |
Succeeded by | The Duke of Sutherland |
Personal details | |
Born |
Ronald Gorell Barnes 16 April 1884 London, England |
Died | 2 May 1963 Arundel, West Sussex |
(aged 79)
Political party | Liberal |
Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
Civilian awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | British Army |
Years of service | 1915–1918 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | Rifle Brigade |
Battles/wars | First World War |
Military awards | Military Cross |
Ronald Gorell Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell CBE MC (16 April 1884 – 2 May 1963) was a British peer, Liberal politician, poet, author and newspaper editor.
Gorell was the second son of John Gorell Barnes, 1st Baron Gorell, President of the Probate Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice.
Gorell was educated at Winchester College, Harrow School and Balliol College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he played first-class cricket for the University cricket team. After leaving Oxford, Gorell played with MCC for 13 seasons, 431 runs and 43 wickets in his 19-match career. In 1909 he was admitted to Inner Temple, to practice as a barrister, and worked as a journalist for The Times from 1911 to 1915.
During World War I he served in the Rifle Brigade, where he reached the rank of Captain, was mentioned in despatches and, in 1917, received the Military Cross.
Barnes succeeded as third Baron Gorell on 16 January 1917 after his unmarried elder brother was killed in the War. After the war, he took his seat on the Liberal benches in the House of Lords and in July 1921 he was appointed Under-Secretary of State for Air in the coalition government of David Lloyd George, an office he held until the government fell in October 1922. He was the founder of the (Royal) Army Education Corps in which he enabled the army "to take an immense step forward; the biggest it has ever taken" (Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson, Chief of the Imperial General Staff). Barnes' autobiography is One Man... Many Parts.