Sir Gerald David Nunes Nabarro (29 June 1913 – 18 November 1973) was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician who was an MP from 1950 until his death. Nabarro positioned himself on the right of the Conservative Party. Though he never left the backbenches, he was a comparatively high-profile political figure, owing in large part to his eccentric personal style. Early life Nabarro was born in Willesden Green, Middlesex, the son of an unsuccessful shopkeeper. He was born to a prominent Sephardi Jewish family but later converted to Christianity. Until age 14 he was educated at London County Council schools. Career Nabarro left school at 14, and ran away from home into the Merchant Navy. He later enlisted in the British Army's King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1930, rising to the rank of staff sergeant instructor. After some self-education he was accepted for commissioning as an officer but believed he had insufficient private means and, having served his time, he was honourably discharged in 1937. He went into the timber-supply industry, where he made his fortune, able to later claim to have served in every grade from labourer to managing director. He also served in the Territorial Army from 1937 and at the start of the Second World War, he was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Artillery. During the war he was seconded for special industrial production processes in the United Kingdom. He left full-time military service in favour of industrial employment in 1943 but remained on the Reserve of Officers until 1946. Among many positions outside industry and parliament Nabarro was a Governor of the University of Birmingham and Convocation Member at Aston University; President of the Road Passenger and Transport Association 1951–55, the Merseyside area of the National Union of Manufacturers 1956–62, the London branch of the Institute of Marketing 1968–70, and the British Direct Mail Marketing Association 1968–72. He was also interested in the revival of the Severn Valley Railway (which was partly in his former Kidderminster constituency), the basis of two of his books, Severn Valley Steam and Steam Nostalgia. In early 1972 he persuaded the SVR, of which he became chairman, to allow him to raise the money to buy the line from Hampton Loade to Foley Park by means of a share issue in a newly created public limited company. The share issue took place but after SVR volunteers discovered he