Andrew Croft
Encyclopedia
Colonel Noel Andrew Cotton Croft DSO
OBE
(30 November 1906 — 26 June 1998), was a member of the Special Operations Executive
in the Second World War, with operations in Norway and Corsica, as well as Military attaché
to Sweden, an explorer, holding the longest self-sustaining journey in the Guinness Book of Records for more than 60 years (across Greenland
), and Commandant
of the Cadet Corps of the Metropolitan Police Service
. He also stepped down with his leader, Eric Shipton
, from the 1953 Everest Expedition which summitted the mountain that year. He was a recipient of the Polar Medal
.
in Hertfordshire where his father, Robert, was the local vicar. After two prep schools, he attended Lancing College
, before becoming one of the founding pupils at Stowe School
, and then going up to Christ Church, Oxford
in 1925.
In 1934, along with Lieutenant A.S.T. Godfrey, RE and Martin Lindsay
, Croft participated in the 1934 British Trans-Greenland Expedition as the expedition photographer and dog-handler. In order to do so, he learned to speak Danish
and Greenlandic
and learned to be an expert dog-driver.
He served as the second-in-command of the Oxford University Arctic Expedition, 1935–36, under A. R. Glen, a glaciologist. The expedition, under the auspices of the Oxford University Exploration Club, was a fourteen month long scientific survey of North-East Land
.
(DSO) on 15 March 1945. Following the end of the war he was granted a regular commission on 21 May 1949, backdated to his original commissioning.
In 1960 Croft became the first Commandant of the Metropolitan Police
's Hendon Police College
, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1970 New Year Honours
for his successful development of the Corps of Cadets. In 1968, he served as a member of the organizing committee for an Arctic exploration expedition led by Wally Herbert
. A member of the expedition, Allan Gill, suffered a serious lower back injury requiring his evacuation.
A Talent for Adventure The Self-Publishing Association, 1991
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(30 November 1906 — 26 June 1998), was a member of the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
in the Second World War, with operations in Norway and Corsica, as well as Military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to Sweden, an explorer, holding the longest self-sustaining journey in the Guinness Book of Records for more than 60 years (across Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
), and Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Cadet Corps of the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. He also stepped down with his leader, Eric Shipton
Eric Shipton
Eric Earle Shipton CBE was a distinguished British Himalayan mountaineer.-Early years:Born in Ceylon in 1907 where his father, a tea planter, died before he was three years old. His mother buried her grief by taking Eric and his sister Marge and travelling constantly for the next five years...
, from the 1953 Everest Expedition which summitted the mountain that year. He was a recipient of the Polar Medal
Polar Medal
The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It was instituted in 1857 as the Arctic Medal and renamed the Polar Medal in 1904.-History:...
.
Early life
Noel Andrew Croft was born on 30 November 1906, St Andrews Day, in StevenageStevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
in Hertfordshire where his father, Robert, was the local vicar. After two prep schools, he attended Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, before becoming one of the founding pupils at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
, and then going up to Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
in 1925.
Career as an Explorer
Croft participated in several Arctic expeditions.In 1934, along with Lieutenant A.S.T. Godfrey, RE and Martin Lindsay
Sir Martin Lindsay, 1st Baronet
Sir Martin Alexander Lindsay, 1st Baronet, CBE, DSO was a British army officer and explorer. He came to fame in the 1930s leading a succession of expeditions to Greenland, and later went into politics; he was elected as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament after the Second World...
, Croft participated in the 1934 British Trans-Greenland Expedition as the expedition photographer and dog-handler. In order to do so, he learned to speak Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and Greenlandic
Greenlandic
Greenlandic may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Greenland, the self-governing Danish province located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago....
and learned to be an expert dog-driver.
He served as the second-in-command of the Oxford University Arctic Expedition, 1935–36, under A. R. Glen, a glaciologist. The expedition, under the auspices of the Oxford University Exploration Club, was a fourteen month long scientific survey of North-East Land
Nordaustlandet
Nordaustlandet is the second-largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of . It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopenstretet. Much of Nordaustlandet lies under large ice caps, mainly Austfonna and Vestfonna, the remaining parts of the north being tundra...
.
War service and army career
He was awarded the Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) on 15 March 1945. Following the end of the war he was granted a regular commission on 21 May 1949, backdated to his original commissioning.
Later life
On 24 July 1952, he married Rosalind Madden, the widow of an Irish Guards officer.In 1960 Croft became the first Commandant of the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
's Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police Service. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently...
, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1970 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
for his successful development of the Corps of Cadets. In 1968, he served as a member of the organizing committee for an Arctic exploration expedition led by Wally Herbert
Wally Herbert
Sir Walter William "Wally" Herbert was a British polar explorer, writer and artist. In 1969 he became the first man to walk undisputed to the North Pole, on the 60th anniversary of Robert Peary's famous, but disputed, expedition...
. A member of the expedition, Allan Gill, suffered a serious lower back injury requiring his evacuation.
Publications
Polar Exploration: Epics of the Twentieth CenturyA Talent for Adventure The Self-Publishing Association, 1991
External links
- The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund (http://www.acmf.org.uk/)