Tom Mitford

Major Thomas David Freeman-Mitford (2 January 1909 – 30 March 1945) was the only son of the 2nd Baron Redesdale and brother of the Mitford Sisters.

During the Second World War, Mitford joined the British Army, and was initially deployed to Italy and North Africa. A Nazi sympathizer, Mitford was sent to fight in the Pacific after saying he did not want to fight against Germany. He was killed in action in 1945.

Early life

Mitford was born on 2 January 1909, the only son of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale. He attended Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire and Eton College. He had relationships with several students there, among whom were Jim Lees-Milne and The Hon. Hamish St. Clair-Erskine (later engaged to his sister Nancy).

In the late 1920s, Mitford studied law in Berlin, and it was at that time that he displayed a favour for the Nazi Party.

Military service and death

While serving, at first Mitford chose to serve in Italy and North Africa, and then in Burma, since he did not want to fight against Germany.

Mitford was killed on 30 March 1945 in Burma, while serving with the Devonshire Regiment. He is buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery. His sister Diana, Lady Mosley, wrote: "his loss was something from which I never recovered for the rest of my life". His father, Lord Redesdale, erected a memorial tablet inside St Mary's Church, Swinbrook, near their home, Swinbrook House. The 2nd Baron Redesdale, Lady Mosley, Nancy Mitford, and Unity Mitford are buried in the churchyard, while Pamela Mitford is buried in the northwest of the tower. Another tablet to the memory of Tom Mitford is inside Holy Trinity Church, Horsley, just south of Rochester, Northumberland, near their estate in Northumberland.

Personal life

In July 1929, Mitford took part in the "Bruno Hat" art hoax. He took the role of the imaginary reclusive artist, Bruno Hat; other Bright Young Things involved were Brian Howard, Evelyn Waugh, Bryan Guinness, and John Banting.

Mitford had an alleged affair with James Lees-Milne, a writer, when both were attending Eton.

In the summer of 1930, Mitford met Sheilah Graham, who would later describe him in her memoirs, Beloved Infidel, as "a youthful edition of his father and, at twenty-one, one of the handsomest men I had ever seen".

In the 1930s, he was a lover of Austrian-born dancer Tilly Losch, while she was married to art patron Edward James.

References

External links

• Tom Mitford at Find a Grave

1. Mitford family
2. David Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale
3. Nancy Mitford
4. Randolph Churchill
5. Jessica Mitford
6. Tom Mison
7. Diana Mosley
8. Doris Castlerosse
9. Major Tom (disambiguation)
10. Terry Kinney
11. Bright young things
12. Dominic Rowan
13. Hoax
14. Tilly Losch
15. Mary Russell Mitford
16. Sagaing
17. James Lees-Milne
18. LGBT nobility and royalty
19. North Square
20. James Alexander Wedderburn St. Clair-Erskine