Queer Places:
Chesham House, 53 Lower Street, Kettering NN16 8BH, England
Squadron Leader Christopher Llewellyn Gotch (May 19, 1923 - August, 2002)
was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire on 19 May 1923 to Laurence Mursell Gotch
(1882-1964), an architect, and Auriel Williams (1888-1969). He came from
generations of notable Gotch architects and painters. Chesham House, built in the 18th century, was the
home of the Gotch family, who were the founders of Kettering shoe industry.
Chris followed in his
father's footsteps and became in due course an architect, but also a
journalist, and author. One of his abiding loves was the English canals. He had a narrowboat called the Robert Mylne, named after a 19th century canal architect. One of his last works was writing and publishing a book on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal which Mylne completed when others failed.
He was a maternal uncle of Maxine Barker (1956-1992). He married Doreen
Osmond Currey (1919-2005). Doreen was the granddaughter of Blanche Winifred
Wynn Williams Currey (1853-1929); thus, Doreen and Christopher were 2nd
cousins. Chris and Doreen's marriage produced two children, Tarquin and
Corrine. Tarquin made a name for himself as an A&R man, music manager, and
producer. He worked closely with the late Hollywood director, John Hughes and
has been associated with other high profile film and television productions
and musicians. Chris' "coming out" in 1997 came years following his separation
from Doreen.
He was a schoolboy at Marlborough when he decided he wanted to be a fighter
pilot. Christopher joined the RAF in 1940 lying about
his age (as many of his generation did) and was sent off to Canada for flight
training. After three months, in 1942 he was attached as a Pilot Officer to 245 Squadron based at
Middle Wallop aerodrome in Hampshire. Christopher served in the RAF from 1940-1946 as a
fighter pilot in Hurricanes, Spitfires, Typhoons, and Mustangs in Europe,
Canada, India, and Burma. He survived plane five crashes and, in over 300 hrs
of operational flights, he was twice wounded. In 1944 he was promoted to
squadron leader.
Christopher Llewellyn Gotch
by Sydney Arrobus
pen and ink, 1954
8 1/2 in. x 5 1/4 in. (216 mm x 133 mm)
Given by Sydney Arrobus, 1986
Reference Collection
NPG D190
In 1954, the noted landscape artist, Sydney Arrobus created a pen and ink
sketch of Chris (now part of the National Portrait Gallery's inventory).
Chris wrote a number of books and was active in his home community of
Hampstead.
Chris earned some
notoriety in 1997 for his remarks concerning a homosexual wartime affair with
Wing Commander Ian Gleed. Chris was interviewed
for a documentary piece focusing on Gay and Lesbian service personnel in WW2.
Christopher's candor in speaking out about the affair is admirable and he
again discussed his relationship with Wing Commander Gleed in a 1998 BBC
episode of Timewatch entitled, ‘Sex and War’. He said that as soon as he was
posted to the same RAF station he became the centre of attention for Gleed.
Christopher recalled: ‘After I’d been there about three months I was sitting
in the mess and I felt someone gazing at me. A curious sensation. And there
was the Wing Commander, “ops” he was called.’ Christopher was in awe of Ian
because he was superior to him in rank, and a celebrated fighter pilot who had
survived the Battle of Britain. ‘I walked up to my bedroom,’ he said: and who
should be sitting there on my window sill, looking at my photograph album, but
Commander Ian Gleed. He just leant over and gave me a kiss which took me by
surprise but being the product of a public school it wasn’t exactly strange.
So we started having sex together. He was a great character, an incredible
character. He was the first bloke who ever buggered me. He had charm, he had
personality and he had a car and he used to take me up to London and introduce
me to people.
Chris lent his
support to LBGTQ causes and had a letter of his read on November 1, 1998 at
the Queer Remembrance Day service in London. The event was sponsored by
Outrage! The Queer Intelligence Network.
Gotch passed away on Aug 2002 in Hounslow, London, England. Chris and
Doreen were both cremated and they have no memorial.
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