Thursday 18 October 2012

Louis Mountbatten

Q1. Who was Lord Louis Mountbatten?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Mountbatten

Admiral Louis Mountbatten (1900-1979)
(From Wikipedia: Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC (1900–1979) was a British admiral, Viceroy of India and statesman.) Photo originally from the UK Government.

He served in the British navy in the Mediterranean, Burma, and India. Along with his father, they were the only father and son to hold the highest post in the British admiralty. Sir Winston Churchill liked him but Mountbatten made one remark against Churchill and that severed their ties.


Q2. What role did he play in this region?
He was the last British Viceroy in India before India's independence. He helped India to unite while setting Pakistan free. He worked with Indian leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and also Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

At the end of World War II, Mountbatten returned to Singapore as the Supreme Commander of the South East Asia Command to receive the surrender of the Japanese at City Hall on 12 September 1945. Even though he attended to Singapore's freedom, he was serving the interest of Britain. The British returned to reoccupy Singapore after the war - for another 18 years!


Prince Edward had visited Singapore before he ascended to the British throne. In Prince Edward's entourage was Louis Mountbatten. [What year?]


Admiral Louis Mountbatten addressing the Japanese surrender in Singapore in 1945. He is at the mike and in white. Photo from Wikipedia Mountbatten_address%2C_Singapore_1945.jpg
Photo was originally from the Imperial War Museum, Britain.

Q3. What happened to him?
He survived a bomb blast (while on his boat with his family) but he died before reaching shore.

Q4. Who planned his murder?
The IRA.

Q5. Did he have a family?
Yes, he had a wife, Edwina (Lady Mountbatten), and 2 daughters, Patricia and Pamela.

Q6. Where was he from?
Battenberg, Hesse in Germany. He was related to the British monarchs.