Rea, Philip Russell, 2nd Baron Rea of Eskdale, eldest son of Walter Russell Rea, 1st Baron Rea, of Eskdale, Bt., by Evelyn, daughter of John James Muirhead, J.P., of Edinburgh; b. Feb. 7, 1900; adm. Sept. 25, 1913 (G); left with an exhibition to Ch. Ch. Oxon. July 1918, matric. Lent 1919; M.A.; prospective party candidate (Lib.) for Darwen, Lancs., 1937-43; succ. as 2nd Baron May 26, 1948; chairman of Rea Brothers Ltd., Merchant Bankers; company director and underwriter at Lloyds; Chief Liberal Whip, House of Lords, 1954; Deputy Speaker and Deputy Lord Chairman of Committees, House of Lords, 1954; President of the Liberal Party 1955-6; Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords 1955; leader of the Parliamentary delegation to Burma and Indonesia 1957; member of the Parliamentary delegations to Hongkong and Ceylon 1958, and to the U.S.A. 1959; U.K. delegate to the Council of Europe at Strasbourg 1960; member of the Political Honours Scrutiny Committee 1962; Privy Councillor 1962; served in Grenadier Guards 1918-9; 2nd Lieut. K.R.R.C. July 11, 1940; attached Special Operations Executive and as Personal Staff Officer to G.O.C. in C. Special Forces 1941-5, serving in the U.K., Africa, France, Greece, Sicily, Italy and Belgium; Lieut. Col.; Col. 1945; served in Foreign Office 1945-50; O.B.E. June 30, 1946; mentioned in despatches 1943; Officer of the Legion of Honour and of the Crown of Belgium; Croix de Guerre with Palms; a vice-president of the Elizabethan Club 1954; president 1962; vice president Grantite Club; member of Westminster School Governing Body; m. April 7, 1922, Lorna Mitchell, youngest daughter of Lewis O. Smith, of Glasgow; d. 22 Apr. 1981.
