The Second World War had a huge impact on the family. The then Mervyn Patrick Wingfield (he succeeded as The 9th Viscount Powerscourt in March 1947) served in the war and was captured by the Germans in Italy. When he came home his health had been compromised and he suffered from shell shock. His wife Sheila (known as Lady Powerscourt from March 1947) had taken the family to Bermuda. They returned home when he did. He came into his inheritance of the Powerscourt Estate in March 1947, when he became Lord Powerscourt. His marriage never recovered from the impact of the war. In 1963, his wife left and, as a result of the financial impact, the family sold the Powerscourt Estate.[2]
