Francis Newall, 2nd Baron Newall

He served there and at Wesendorf for three years, commanding an armoured cavalry troop and being promoted Lieutenant in 1952 before the 11th was transferred to British Malaya (now Singapore and peninsular Malaysia) in 1953 to combat the increasingly powerful Communist insurgency there (see Malayan Emergency).

During his service there, he served in a variety of roles, including intelligence, domestic pacification, and aide-de-camp to General Sir Charles Loewen, Commander-in-Chief Far East Land Forces.

In 1956 he was promoted Captain and returned to Britain as adjutant to the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, and served in a variety of roles thereafter until his 1961 retirement following contraction of jaundice in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

He continued sitting in the Lords, holding his seat for a total of thirty-seven years and introducing six private members’ bills — four of which were passed – as well as making hundreds of speeches.

He has also acted as a representative of the British parliament and the WEU on several occasions: notably, during annual visits from 1986 through 1993 to Romania, which included private meetings with President Nicolae Ceauşescu and members of his government; and, more recently, in Azerbaijan.