Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Colonel

Army Number : 139890

Unit : 4th Bn (TA)

Biography :

Educated at Bramcote School (Scarborough), Oundle School, and Merton College, Oxford, Geoffrey Vickers was commissioned into 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion The Sherwood Foresters and was in France before the end of 1914, first as a second lieutenant, promoted to temporary Captain in 1915 and then to Major and as 2IC 1st Bn The Lincolnshire Regiment in 1918 for which he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 12.11.1918). He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1915 for action in 7th Sherwood Foresters "For most conspicuous bravery on 14th October, 1915, in the Hohenzollern Redoubt. When nearly all his men had been killed or wounded, and with only two men available to hand him bombs, Captain Vickers held a barrier for some hours against heavy German bomb attacks from front and flank. Regardless of the fact that his own retreat would be cut off, he had ordered a second barrier to be built behind him in order to ensure the safety of the trench. Finally he was severely wounded, but not before his magnificent courage and determination had enabled the second barrier to be completed. A critical situation was thus saved."
In June 1918 he commanded a battalion in the Second Battle of the Marne for which he was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

After the war he was for a time a Captain in 4th Leicesters from 9.4.1921. (L.G. 6.5.1921, p 3731). At the outbreak of The Second World War, he was re-commissioned as a Major on 27.6.1940, and then promoted to Colonel. He was knighted (L.G. 1.1.1946) for his work as Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Economic Warfare, in charge of economic intelligence, and as a member of the Joint Intelligence Committee 1941-45. He was also a member of the London Passenger Transport Board (1941–46) and of the Council of Law Society (1944–48). He had other varied interests, including roles at different times with the Medical Research Council (1952-60) and Mental Health Research Fund (1951-67). From 1946 to 1948 he was also first Legal Advisor to the National Coal Board, and was a member of National Coal Board in charge of manpower, training, education, health and welfare (1948–55). In his later years he wrote and lectured on social systems analysis and the complex patterns of social organisation. The Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award has been presented by the International Society for the Systems Sciences since 1987 in his memory. His military medals were left to The Sherwood Foresters Collection and are on display in Nottingham Castle. The photo is of him in 1973.

Date of Birth : 13.10.1894

Place of Birth : Nottingham

Date of Death : 16.3.1982

Place of Death : Goring-on-Thames, Oxon

Civil Occupation : Systems scientist

Period of Service : 1914-25; 1939-45

Conflicts : WW1, WW2

Places Served : France and Flanders