Oswald Phipps, 4th Marquess of Normanby KG CBE

Oswald Constantine John Phipps was the eldest son of Constantine Phipps the 3rd Marquess of Normanby, a title dating back to 1838. His mother was Getrude Stansfeld Foster. Oswald was born on 29 July 1912 and styled Earl of Mulgrave from birth. The family home of Mulgrave Castle is near Whitby in Yorkshire. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He inherited his title in 1932. In 1939 he joined the Green Howards as a lieutenant, but in 1940 he was captured at Dunkirk. He spent the next three years in Obermassfeldt as a prisoner of war. During his captivity he persuaded the Germans to allow him to teach braille to blind prisoners. He had to teach himself first as he had no knowledge of it. He constructed alphabets with glass-headed pins and cardboard. He also taught other subjects. For this remarkable undertaking he was appointed honorary member of St Dunstan’s teaching staff and joined their council. He was also awarded the military MBE. He was chairman of the National Library for the Blind from 1946, and its president from 1977.
After his release from captivity in 1943 he became a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs and appointed Lord-in-Waiting. He changed parties twice; first to be a Labour marquess and again to be a cossbencher. His MBE was promoted to CBE in 1974 in recognition of his chairmanship of King’s College Hospital. He was made Knight of the Garter in 1985. From 1965 to 1987 he was Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. In 1951 he married Hon Grania Guinness daughter of Lord Moyne and they had 7 children; 2 sons and 5 daughters. The Marquess died on 30 Jan 1994. The portrait shows him in the mess dress of an officer of the Green Howards. It was painted by Richard Foster and hangs in the Green Howards Regimental Museum. According to the ArtUK website the Marquess was Honorary Colonel Commandant from 1970 to 1982 and this painting was presented to him by the officers of the Green Howards in 1982. It was then presented to the museum after his death in 1994.

Regimental Details | Soldiers