John Eugène, 8th Count de Salis-Soglio facts for kids
John Eugène de Salis (born October 4, 1891 – died June 12, 1949) was a British soldier and diplomat. He was also known as the 8th Count de Salis. He held important roles in the military and in government relations with other countries.
Early Life and School
John Eugène de Salis was the oldest son of Sir John Francis Charles de Salis. His father was the 7th Count de Salis. The family lived at Lough Gur House in Ireland. They also had family roots in Switzerland. John's mother, Hélène Marie, passed away when he was only 10 years old.
John became the 8th Count de Salis in 1939, after his father passed away. He also received several special awards. These included honors from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Order of the Crown of Romania, and the French Legion of Honour. He also earned a medal for bravery in 1918.
He went to school at Beaumont College, a Jesuit school. Later, he studied history at Balliol College, Oxford from 1910 to 1914. While at Oxford, he was very active in sports. He won several awards in shooting competitions. He was also part of the Oxford University Fencing Club. He competed against Cambridge University in fencing in both 1913 and 1914.
Soldier and Diplomat
John de Salis served as a soldier during World War I, from 1914 to 1919. He was a Lieutenant in the 1st Life Guards and Irish Guards. He was wounded twice during the war. Later, he became a Captain and worked on special missions in the Balkans.
After World War I, he worked at the British Embassy in Paris. He then joined the Diplomatic Service in 1920. He worked as a diplomat in Washington, D.C., and then in Tokyo from 1921 to 1922.
He also served as an assistant to the Governor of Bengal in India from 1925 to 1927. He was involved with the Indian Army Rifle Team for several years. In 1929, he helped revise the Geneva Convention. This is an important set of rules for how people should be treated during war.
During World War II, he was a Captain on a military mission in France from 1939 to 1940. He worked with the Duke of Windsor. He helped the Duke write a report about his visit to the French Army. A writer named Michael Bloch described de Salis as "brilliant and subtle." He was also called a "delightful secret service diplomatist."
Later in World War II, he became a Lieutenant Colonel. He served as a Senior Civil Affairs Officer in Eritrea, Africa, from 1943 to 1944. He also worked as an aide to Field Marshal Lord Alexander. Lord Alexander was in charge of the British forces fighting to free Italy from 1943 to 1945.
Personal Life
In 1947, John de Salis married Maria Camilla Presti di Camarda. They lived in South Kensington, London. They had one son, John de Salis.
