Francis Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell

Major-General Francis James Rennell Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell, (25 October 1895 – 15 March 1978), known as Lord Rennell, was an army officer and the second but eldest surviving son of the diplomat Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell. He served as a Chief of Civil Affairs in the Mediterranean theatre of war from 1941 to 1944.

Career Rodd was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford where he graduated with a Master of Arts.

First World War and diplomatic service During the First World War he served in the artillery and, since he spoke four languages fluently, as an intelligence officer in France, Italy, North Africa, Egypt, Libya, Palestine and Syria. While an intelligence officer in Egypt and Palestine, he befriended T. E. Lawrence triggering his passion for exploring desert landscapes. He wrote of Lawrence:

There are few people in this wide world I have greater admiration for... and I like him very well besides...

Rodd entered HM Diplomatic Service in 1919. Having served as a diplomat in Rome, Rodd was able to arrange for Lawrence to recover at his father's residence in the British Embassy there.

Bank of England and post-War career After the war, and while still working at the Foreign Office, Rodd travelled in the Aïr mountains of the southern Sahara desert (1922–3), and wrote about his findings in People of the Veil, work that won the praise of the Royal Geographical Society. After this expedition Rodd tried his hand in the civil service. Not feeling rewarded in that line of work, Rodd resigned from the service in 1924 and joined the Bank of England. A second journey in 1927, with his brother Peter, and the future Arctic explorer Augustine Courtauld resulted in his being awarded the Society's Cuthbert Peake Grant and Founders' Medal in 1929. That same year he was sent to Rome by the Governor of the bank, Sir Montague Norman, to address some problems at the British-Italian Bank and as a result Rodd had a number of personal interviews with Benito Mussolini. In November 1934, Montague then asked Rodd to offer his friend, Colonel Lawrence, the appointment of Secretary to the bank. after which he served as a major-general in colonial administration in the Middle East, East Africa and Italy. He was also elected to the board of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) 1954–1965. On the death of his father on 26 July 1941 he gained the title of 2nd Baron Rennell and become active as a Liberal peer, crossing to the Conservative benches in the early 1950s. He also served as a Deputy Lieutenant and later Vice-Lieutenant of Herefordshire.

Rodd married Mary Constance Vivian Smith, daughter of Vivian Hugh Smith, 1st Baron Bicester and Lady Sybil Mary McDonnell (daughter of William McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim), on 3 August 1928.

Hon. Joanna Phoebe Rodd (1929–2016) married Comte Gerard de Renusson d'Hauteville Hon. Juliet Honor Rodd (1930–2023) married Brian Boobbyer Hon. Mary Elizabeth Jill Rodd (1932–2020) married firstly Michael Dunne (1928–2020); married secondly Christopher Bridges Daniell. Hon. Rachel Georgiana Rodd (1935– 2017) married Richard Douglas Blythe.

Rodd was passionate about exploration and geography.