DIPLOMAT'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22971, 24 February 1938, Page 13

DIPLOMAT'S DEATH

MR. H. LLOYD THOMAS SPILL IN STEEPLECHASE LONDON, Feb. '->2 Mr. Hugh Lloyd Thomas, British Minister in Paris, fell and broke his neck in an amateur steeplechase event at the Derby races. Mr. Thomas was born in 1888, and was educated at Eton and at New College, Oxford. He came of a sporting family, his father, Mr. W. Lloyd Thomas, of Abergavenny, Wales, being one of the fouriders of the Calcutta Sweep. His mother was a granddaughter of the second Lord Bellew. From his boyhood, Mr. Thomas was a good cross-country rider, and, later, took up polo and racing. Entering the diplomatic service in 1912, he served at Constantinople, Cairo, Eomo and Madrid. In 1920, when he had reached the rank of first secretary, he was recalled to the Foreign Office and appointed dipolmatic private secretary to the Foreign Minister. Although Mr. Thomas worked hard at his duties, he lost no opportunity of keeping himself fit. He won his first horse race during a lunch time. At 1 E.m. when his chiefs went out to lunch e was sitting immaculately dressed at his desk. A minute later he was in a car driving to a racecourse near London. At 3 p.m. when his chiefs returned he was again at his desk dressed as before. In the interval he had changed into riding kit, won the race, changed into his clothes again and returned. Mr. Thomas in 1929 was a member of the Duke of Gloucester's staff when His Royal Highness went to Tokio and invested the Emperor of Japan with thd Order of the Garter. On Mr. Thomas' return he was awarded the C.V.O. (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order), and the Duke of -Windsor, then the Prince of Wales, appointed him his assistant private secretary. He remained, however, on the Foreign Office list and in September. 1935, was made Minister in Paris, a post ranking next to that of the Ambassador. In the last New Year honours list Mr. Thomas was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St George.