James Allason | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament forHemel Hempstead | |
| In office 8 October 1959 – 20 September 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Frances Davidson |
| Succeeded by | Robin Corbett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Harry Allason (1912-09-06)6 September 1912 Kensington, London |
| Died | 16 June 2011(2011-06-16) (aged 98) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Relations | Brigadier GeneralWalter Allason (father) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1930–1954 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Lieutenant ColonelJames Harry Allason,OBE (6 September 1912 – 16 June 2011) was a BritishConservative Party politician, sportsman, and former military planner who worked withLord Mountbatten andWinston Churchill. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living former member of theHouse of Commons.
The son of Brigadier GeneralWalter Allason by his wife Katherine Hamilton Poland, daughter of Vice Admiral James Augustus Poland,[1][2] James Allason was raised primarily by a great-aunt following the death of his mother in 1913 protecting the infant James in a fall down stairs. Allason was a great-grandson of the architectThomas Allason.[1]
Allason was educated atHaileybury and Imperial Service College and theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwich. He served as an officer in theBritish Army for 24 years from 1930 to 1954, including in India,Ceylon andBurma, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He joined theRoyal Artillery in 1932, transferring to the3rd Carabiniers in 1937. A gifted mathematician, he addressed the problem of using magnetic compasses with tanks: the AllasonSun Compass was adopted for use throughout the Asian theatre.
Allason worked with the Supreme Allied Commander, AdmiralLord Louis Mountbatten, as joint planning staff officer inSouth East Asia Command and was wounded while commanding tanks during theBurma campaign. He subsequently occupied a similar post as senior military planner at theWar Office in London, answeringWinston Churchill's queries and providing briefings in theCabinet War Rooms. His last planning task was to advise on the logistics of withdrawing fromPalestine. From 1950 to 1954, he served at theWar Office in charge of army discipline.
After leaving the army Allason worked as aLloyd's of London insurance broker. He was elected a councillor onKensington Borough Council in 1956.
Allason contestedHackney Central in 1955. He wasMember of Parliament forHemel Hempstead (after defeatingMargaret Thatcher for the Conservative nomination) from 1959 to 1974, when, following boundary changes, he narrowly lost the seat in theOctober election of that year toLabour'sRobin Corbett.
In government Allason was acknowledged for his expertise not only on defence but also in the arcane but key subject of pensions.[citation needed] When the Conservatives were in opposition, Allason was the front-bench spokesman on Housing for six years and is credited with development of the policy of enablingcouncil house tenants to purchase their own properties. That was taken up by Margaret Thatcher and adopted by subsequent Conservative governments, contributing to their electoral victories. After leaving parliament he continued to exercise a rational influence on environmental policy from positions on the executive of theTown and Country Planning Association and the Environment Council's Transport Committee.
After the deaths ofPatrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale, in December 2008 andBert Hazell in January 2009, Allason became the oldest living former British Member of Parliament.[3]
As a sportsman Allason raced Bentleys atBrooklands, played polo with maharajahs in India, skied and sailed in international competition, and represented the House of Commons in five sports. He continued skiing until his 87th year, and continued to playContract Bridge and attend the Opera, on which subjects he wrote.
In 1946, Allason married Nuala (who acted as Nuala McElveen and Nuala Barrie), daughter of John A. McArevey, ofFoxrock,Dublin. They had two sons, the younger of whom, the Intelligence historianRupert Allason, followed him into parliament as Member forTorbay. Julian (1948–2015), the elder son, was a photographer and travel-writer, as well as vice-president of theAnthony Powell Society.[4][5] The marriage was dissolved in 1974. His wife continued to live at what had been their family home at15 Cheyne Walk in Chelsea.[6] Allason also lived at Pump Lane House,Bembridge,Isle of Wight.[1]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forHemel Hempstead 1959–1974 | Succeeded by |
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