Honourable Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger, Defence Science Organisation was a British officer and diplomat, who was British Minister in Ethiopia from 1909 to 1919.
Background
Thesiger was born into a well-connected family of politicians, officers and diplomats. He was a younger son of the 2nd Baron Chelmsford by Adria Fanny Heath, daughter of Major-General John Coussamker Heath. His father was a General, his grandfather the 1st Baron Chelmsford was twice Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom, and his elder brother Frederic Thesiger had a distinguished career as colonial governor, became Viceroy of India and was created Viscount Chelmsford.
Career
Lieutenant-General Sir Eric Thesiger was a younger brother. Thesiger was Vice-Consul to Taranto between 1897 and 1900. He fought with the Imperial Yeomanry in the Second Boer War between 1900 and 1901, where he was mentioned in dispatches.
He resigned his commission in October 1901, and entered the diplomatic service.
He held the following offices
1901-1906: Vice-Consul to Belgrade
1905-1908: Consul to Saint St. Petersburg
1908-1909: Consul to Boma, Congo
1909-1919: Consul-General and Minister Plenipotentiary to Addis Ababa. He fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in despatches.
He was decorated with the award of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia (1st Class). Thesiger married Kathleen Mary Vigors, aged twenty-nine, daughter of Thomas Mercer Cliffe Vigors, at Street Peter"s Church, Eaton Square, in London, on 21 August 1909.
They had four children:
Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger, b.
3 June 1910, daughter 24 August 2003
Colonel Brian Peirson Doughty-Wylie, b. 4 October 1911, daughter 1982
P/O. Dermot Vigors Thesiger, b.
24 March 1914, daughter 28 April 1942
Captain Roderic Miles Doughty Thesiger, 2 b.
8 November 1915, daughter 5 March 2005
He lived at The Milebrook, Bucknell, Shropshire, England.