JOHN PECK & SON 7 NELSON SQUARE SOUTHWARK S.E.1, MANUFACTURERS to HM STATIONERY OFFICE
SIR WILLIAM STRANG GCB.GCMG.MBE.* b.1893, d1978.
A George V Red Morocco Leather Despatch Box bearing the insignia of King George V with a handle inset in the top and a swing handle at the rear. The black leather lined interior with raised sides and locating studs. The maker's name and details are stamped on the front rim.
Accompanied by a Tan Attaché Case stamped SIR W STRANG with the insignia of King George VI.
Both Boxes with 5 lever Chubb Detector locks (the despatch box with an extra key).
A blue card label c1953 (please see last image) shows both boxes together as being listed together as part of Foreign Office inventory.
At auction the boxes were listed as one lot, and appeared in the same sale with many other items from Sir Edward Strang's estate.
Dimensions
Despatch Box 44 x 31 x 14 cm
Attaché Case 43 x 31.5 x 13 cm
*Sir William Strang joined the Diplomatic Service and served at the British embassy in Belgrade from 1919 to 1922, at the Foreign Office from 1922 to 1930 and at the embassy in Moscow from 1930 to 1933. During his time in Moscow he played an important role in the Metro-Vickers engineers trial, in which six British engineers were accused of spying. He returned to the Foreign Office in 1933, and held office as head of the League of Nations section until 1937 and of the Central Department from 1937 to 1939. From 1939 to 1943 he was assistant under-secretary of state for Europe.
During the 1930s he was an adviser to the government at the major international meetings, and met Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin He was a tacit opponent of appeasement, but always stayed loyal to the government. He continued as an adviser during and after the Second World War and was present at the major conferences between the Allied leaders. In 1943 Strang was appointed the British representative on the European Advisory Commission, with the rank of ambassador. The commission was set up by the Allies to study the possible post-war political problems in Europe and make recommendations. In this role Strang was considered a great success. The commission was dissolved at the Potsdam Conference in 1945 and Strang was appointed political adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Germany, Bernard (Viscount) Montgomery.
Strang again returned to the Foreign Office in 1947 and served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the German section from 1947 to 1949 and as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1949 to 1953. The six years Strang served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State saw the gradual recovery of Europe through the Marshall Plan, the establishment of the Western European Union and NATO and the breaking of the Berlin blockade. He retired from the Foreign Office in 1953.
