36 Facts About Airey Neave

Airey Neave's father was the grandson of Sheffield Neave, the third son of Sir Thomas Neave, 2nd Baronet.

Airey Neave spent his early years in Knightsbridge in London, before he moved to Beaconsfield.

Airey Neave was sent to St Ronan's School, Worthing, and from there, in 1929, he went to Eton College.

Airey Neave went on to read Jurisprudence at Merton College, Oxford.

Airey Neave had earlier been on a visit to Germany, and he witnessed the Nazi German methods of grasping political and military power.

At Eton, Airey Neave served in the school cadet corps as a cadet lance corporal, and received a territorial commission as a second lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 11 December 1935.

Airey Neave transferred his territorial commission to the Royal Engineers on 2 May 1938 and following the outbreak of war he was mobilised.

Meanwhile, Airey Neave's commission was transferred to the Royal Artillery on 1 August 1940.

In demonstration of their solidarity with the French Jews, the British invited the French Jews to dinner in the British mess, where Airey Neave made a speech denouncing the prejudice.

Airey Neave made his first attempt to escape from Colditz on 28 August 1941 disguised as a German NCO.

Airey Neave did not get out of the castle as his hastily contrived German uniform was rendered bright green under the prison searchlights.

The disguise was so poor that guards came to see it; prison official Paul Priem joked that "Corporal Airey Neave is to be sent to the Russian front".

Via France, Spain and Gibraltar, Airey Neave returned to England in April 1942.

Airey Neave was the first British officer to escape from Colditz Castle.

Airey Neave was promoted to war substantive captain and to the permanent rank of captain on 11 April 1945.

Airey Neave served with the International Military Tribunal at the Nuremberg trials, investigating Krupp.

Airey Neave was supported by the work of his secretary Joan Tutte.

Airey Neave wrote several books about his war experiences including an account of the trials.

Airey Neave was awarded the Bronze Star by the US government on 20 July 1948, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1950, At the same time, his promotion to acting major was gazetted, with retroactive effect from 16 April 1948.

Airey Neave stood for the Conservative Party at the 1950 election in Thurrock and at Ealing North in 1951.

Airey Neave was elected for Abingdon in a by-election in June 1953, but his career was held back by a heart attack he suffered in 1959.

Airey Neave was a Governor of Imperial College between 1963 and 1971 and was a member of the House of Commons select committee on Science and Technology between 1965 and 1970.

Airey Neave was on the governing body of Abingdon School from 1953 to 1979.

Airey Neave admitted that in December 1974 Neave had told him to stand down for the good of the party.

When Thatcher was elected leader in February 1975, Airey Neave was rewarded by becoming head of her private office.

Airey Neave was then appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and, at the time of his death, was poised to attain the equivalent Cabinet position in the event of the Conservatives winning the general election of 1979.

In opposition, Airey Neave was a strong supporter of Roy Mason, who had extended the policy of Ulsterisation.

Airey Neave was author of the new and radical Conservative policy of abandoning devolution in Northern Ireland if there was no early progress in that regard, and concentrating on local government reform instead.

Politician Tony Benn records in his diary that a journalist from the New Statesman, Duncan Campbell, told him that he had received information two years previously, from an intelligence agent, that Airey Neave had planned to have Benn assassinated if, following the election of Labour government, Labour leader James Callaghan resigned and there was a possibility that Benn might be elected in his place.

Tracey said he had met Airey Neave, who asked him to join a team of intelligence and security specialists which would "make sure Benn was stopped".

Airey Neave was critically wounded on 30 March 1979 when a car bomb fitted with a tilt-switch exploded under his Vauxhall Cavalier at 14:59 as he drove out of the Palace of Westminster car park.

Airey Neave lost both legs in the explosion and died of his wounds at Westminster Hospital an hour after being rescued from the wrecked car.

Airey Neave had been pressing within Conservative Party circles and in Parliament throughout the Troubles for the British Government to abandon its strategy of containment of Irish republican paramilitarism within Northern Ireland, and switch to one of pursuing its military defeat.

Airey Neave was staunch, brave, true, strong; but he was very gentle and kind and loyal.

Airey Neave's death came two days after the vote of no confidence which brought down Callaghan's government and a few weeks before the general election, which brought about a Conservative victory and saw Thatcher come to power as Prime Minister.

Airey Neave was portrayed by Geoffrey Pounsett in Nuremberg, Dermot Crowley in Margaret, Nicholas Farrell in The Iron Lady and Tim McInnerny in Utopia.