John Lomax (diplomat)
Sir John Lomax | |
|---|---|
| British Ambassador to Bolivia | |
| In office 1949–1956 | |
| Preceded by | T. Ifor Rees |
| Succeeded by | Sir James Henderson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1896 |
| Died | 23 December 1987 (aged 91) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Liverpool |
| Occupation | Diplomat |
Sir John Garnett Lomax (27 August 1896 – 23 December 1987) was a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Bolivia from 1949 to 1956.
Early life and education
Lomax was born on 27 August 1896 in Liverpool, the son of Rev Edward Lomax and Bessie née Garnett. He was educated at Liverpool College and University of Liverpool.[1][2]
Career
Lomax served during World War I in France, Belgium, India, and Egypt. In 1915, he was with the Royal Field Artillery and in the following year was commissioned as Lieutenant.[3] In 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross.[1][2][4]
Lomax joined the Consular Service in 1920,[5] and that year was sent to New Orleans as vice-consul and then to Chicago in 1921. He then served from 1926 to 1930 as vice-consul and second secretary at Bogota,[6] and second commercial secretary at Rio de Janeiro.[7] In 1935, he was in Rome before he was transferred to Jerusalem as commercial agent in 1938.[8] He then served as commercial counsellor successively at Madrid in 1940;[9] in Berne in 1941; and Angora in 1943.[1][2][10][11]
Lomax was appointed minister (commercial) at the British Embassy in Argentina, serving from 1946 to 1949. While in Buenos Aires he negotiated an agreement with the government of Argentina for the supply of meat which was much in demand in post-war Britain. In 1949, he was appointed Ambassador to Bolivia remaining in the post until his retirement in 1956.[1][2][11][12]
Personal life and death
Lomax married Feridah Krajewski in 1922 and they had two sons. In retirement he wrote his memoirs, The Diplomatic Smuggler published in 1965. The title refers to his wartime exploits in neutral Spain, Switzerland and Turkey when he directed smugglers carrying items such as mechanical parts and industrial diamonds to Britain.[1][2]
Lomax died on 23 December 1987, aged 91.[1]
Honours
Lomax was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1929 Birthday Honours,[13] and promoted to Knight Commander (KBE) in the 1953 Coronation Honours.[14] He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1944 New Year Honours.[15] In 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross (MC).[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Sir John Lomax". The Times. 26 December 1987. p. 10.
- ^ a b c d e f Who was who 1981-1990 : a companion to Who's who containing the biographies of those who died during the decade 1981-1990. Vol. 8. Internet Archive. London : A. & C. Black. 1991. p. 458. ISBN 978-0-7136-3336-8.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "No. 29437". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 January 1916. p. 558.
- ^ "No. 30466". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 January 1918. p. 624.
- ^ "No. 31851". The London Gazette. 6 April 1920. p. 4153.
- ^ "No. 33501". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1929. p. 3677.
- ^ "No. 33681". The London Gazette. 16 January 1931. p. 374.
- ^ "No. 34182". The London Gazette. 23 July 1935. p. 4771.
- ^ "No. 34884". The London Gazette. 28 June 1940. p. 3940.
- ^ "No. 36202". The London Gazette. 8 October 1943. p. 4458.
- ^ a b Colin Mackie (2013). A Directory of British Diplomats [2013]. p. 303.
- ^ "No. 38763". The London Gazette. 18 November 1949. p. 5469.
- ^ "No. 33501". The London Gazette. 31 May 1929.
- ^ "No. 39863". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1953. p. 2970.
- ^ "No. 36309". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1944. p. 6.
Further reading
- Lomax, John (1965). The diplomatic smuggler. Barker.