Charles Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie GCMG
, GCVO
, CB
, DSO
, MC
& Bar
(26 September 189325 May 1977) was a British Army
general during World War II
, following which he served terms as Governor of South Australia
and the eighth Governor-General of New Zealand
.
in 1913. He served in World War I
where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
, the Military Cross
and Bar
, was twice mentioned in despatches, and was wounded four times. He became, successively, a Staff Captain in the 73rd Infantry Brigade; third General Staff Officer in the XVIIIth Army Corps; Brigade Major in the 90th Infantry Brigade, and in the 2nd Tank Brigade; and second General Staff Officer in the 2nd Tank Corps. In January 1919 he changed his name by deed poll
from Moke-Norrie to Norrie.
Between the wars he had a number of regimental and staff postings interrupted by a year at Staff College in 1924. In 1931 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the 11th Hussars after which he was placed on the half-pay (inactive) list although promoted to full colonel in 1935. In January 1936, still on the half pay list, Norrie took part in the funeral procession for King George V
as one of the "Representative Colonels-Commandant and Colonels of His late Majesty's Regiments". In April 1936 he was appointed to command the 1st Cavalry Brigade as a temporary brigadier. His brigade was mechanised in 1938 and re-designated 1st Light Armoured Brigade, becoming the 1st Armoured Brigade in 1940.
On the outbreak of World War II Norrie continued to serve as commander of 1st Armoured Brigade
. In April 1940 the brigade was part of 2nd Armoured Division which he was given temporary command of for a month between appointments of permanent commanders. Following this he was appointed acting major-general and became Inspector of the Royal Armoured Corps
. Four months later he became GOC
1st Armoured Division and was promoted to the permanent rank of major-general in June 1941. In November 1941 the division was ordered to Egypt where Norrie found himself appointed acting lieutenant-general to command XXX Corps in the place of Vyvyan Pope
who had died in an air crash shortly before Norrie's arrival in Egypt. He commanded XXX Corps during Operation Crusader
with some success but his tanks suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Gazala
in June 1942. He was criticised for his "cavalry
" approach to armoured warfare
and Eighth Army
commander Claude Auchinleck
replaced him in July. He returned to Britain
to be appointed Commander of the Royal Armoured Corps in which role he was to give advice on armoured warfare to Bernard Paget
, the C-in-C Home Forces. He continued as Paget's advisor when Paget became commander of 21st Army Group on its formation in July 1943 but when Bernard Montgomery
assumed command early in 1944, he brought his own advisor. In April 1944 Norrie was appointed Head of the Military Mission to the French Committee of National Liberation (CFLN) in Algiers, a post he held until the middle of 1944 when he was proposed by the Secretary of State for the Dominions to become Governor of South Australia.
Norrie retired from the army in September 1944 to take up his post as Governor of South Australia. Although his substantive rank at this time was still major-general, he was given the honorary rank of lieutenant-general in retirement.
Jocelyn Norrie died on 7th March, 1938. He remarried later that year, to Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge, on 28th November. They also had three children:
Norrie also had a ward, his niece Eleanor Kerans (born 21st April, 1926). She had been orphaned at an early age, and when she was 16 her brother was killed in the Western Desert Campaign
of World War II
, leaving her with no immediate family.
in September 1944, whereupon he was knighted KCMG. He, his family and 12 staff arrived in Adelaide
in December. The Vice-Regal
couple worked hard to keep the "Empire Spirit
" alive during wartime. Within two years, Norrie had traveled to every Local Government Area
within the state, and was sure to welcome servicemen returning from war. Lady Patricia, with Rosemary and Eleanor, were regular volunteers and champions of various patriotic causes. In 1945, Norrie was made a Knight of St. John, an award associated with public and charitable works.
Although normally remaining neutral in regards to local politics, he was "shocked" at the narrow rejection of Thomas Playford
's bill to nationalise the Adelaide Electric Company. He privately exerted pressure on the bill's main opponents. When the bill was reintroduced in 1946, Sir Collier Cudmore
absented himself from key divisions, allowing the bill to pass and leading to the establishment of the Electricity Trust of South Australia
.
Norrie's term was extended for four years in 1948.
Despite his illustrious career, he would forever claim that his greatest achievement was the catching of a shark
weighing 2225 pounds (1,009.2 kg), with rod and reel
, off Port Lincoln
!
in 1952, in which position he served until 1957. During his tenure he was made GCVO for personal services to the Queen. On leaving office he was created a peer
in 1957 as Baron Norrie
, of Wellington in the Dominion of New Zealand and of Upton in the County of Gloucester. From 1960 to 1968 he was Chancellor of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
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...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(26 September 189325 May 1977) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
general during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, following which he served terms as Governor of South Australia
Governors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
and the eighth Governor-General of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
.
Army career
After education at Eton and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst he was commissioned into the 11th Hussars11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
in 1913. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
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...
, the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
, was twice mentioned in despatches, and was wounded four times. He became, successively, a Staff Captain in the 73rd Infantry Brigade; third General Staff Officer in the XVIIIth Army Corps; Brigade Major in the 90th Infantry Brigade, and in the 2nd Tank Brigade; and second General Staff Officer in the 2nd Tank Corps. In January 1919 he changed his name by deed poll
Deed poll
A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
from Moke-Norrie to Norrie.
Between the wars he had a number of regimental and staff postings interrupted by a year at Staff College in 1924. In 1931 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the 11th Hussars after which he was placed on the half-pay (inactive) list although promoted to full colonel in 1935. In January 1936, still on the half pay list, Norrie took part in the funeral procession for King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
as one of the "Representative Colonels-Commandant and Colonels of His late Majesty's Regiments". In April 1936 he was appointed to command the 1st Cavalry Brigade as a temporary brigadier. His brigade was mechanised in 1938 and re-designated 1st Light Armoured Brigade, becoming the 1st Armoured Brigade in 1940.
On the outbreak of World War II Norrie continued to serve as commander of 1st Armoured Brigade
British 1st Armoured Brigade
The 1st Armoured Brigade was a regular British Army unit formed from the redesignation of the 1st Light Armoured Brigade on 3 September 1939.-Second World War History:...
. In April 1940 the brigade was part of 2nd Armoured Division which he was given temporary command of for a month between appointments of permanent commanders. Following this he was appointed acting major-general and became Inspector of the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
. Four months later he became GOC
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
1st Armoured Division and was promoted to the permanent rank of major-general in June 1941. In November 1941 the division was ordered to Egypt where Norrie found himself appointed acting lieutenant-general to command XXX Corps in the place of Vyvyan Pope
Vyvyan Pope
Lieutenant-General Vyvyan Vavasour Pope DSO MC was a British Army Officer who commanded XXX Corps during World War II.-Military career:...
who had died in an air crash shortly before Norrie's arrival in Egypt. He commanded XXX Corps during Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
with some success but his tanks suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Gazala
Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
in June 1942. He was criticised for his "cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
" approach to armoured warfare
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
and Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
commander Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
replaced him in July. He returned to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to be appointed Commander of the Royal Armoured Corps in which role he was to give advice on armoured warfare to Bernard Paget
Bernard Paget
General Sir Bernard Charles Tolver Paget GCB, DSO, MC was a British officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars.-Military career:...
, the C-in-C Home Forces. He continued as Paget's advisor when Paget became commander of 21st Army Group on its formation in July 1943 but when Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
assumed command early in 1944, he brought his own advisor. In April 1944 Norrie was appointed Head of the Military Mission to the French Committee of National Liberation (CFLN) in Algiers, a post he held until the middle of 1944 when he was proposed by the Secretary of State for the Dominions to become Governor of South Australia.
Norrie retired from the army in September 1944 to take up his post as Governor of South Australia. Although his substantive rank at this time was still major-general, he was given the honorary rank of lieutenant-general in retirement.
Family
Norrie was married to Jocelyn Helen Gosling on 9th June 1922. They had three children:- Diana Norrie (born 7th May 1923)
- Hon. Rosemary Norrie (born 28th March 1926)
- George Willoughby Moke Norrie (born 27th April 1936)
Jocelyn Norrie died on 7th March, 1938. He remarried later that year, to Patricia Merryweather Bainbridge, on 28th November. They also had three children:
- Guy Bainbridge Norrie (born 3rd May 1940)
- Sarah Norrie (born 27th June 1943)
- Annabel Mary Adelaide Norrie (born 23rd December 1945)
Norrie also had a ward, his niece Eleanor Kerans (born 21st April, 1926). She had been orphaned at an early age, and when she was 16 her brother was killed in the Western Desert Campaign
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, leaving her with no immediate family.
Governor of South Australia
Norrie was appointed Governor of South AustraliaGovernors of South Australia
The Governor of South Australia is the representative in the Australian state of South Australia of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level.In...
in September 1944, whereupon he was knighted KCMG. He, his family and 12 staff arrived in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in December. The Vice-Regal
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
couple worked hard to keep the "Empire Spirit
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
" alive during wartime. Within two years, Norrie had traveled to every Local Government Area
Local Government Areas of South Australia
This is a list of Local Government Areas in South Australia. The LGAs are grouped by region, as defined by the Local Government Association of South Australia.-LGAs sorted by region:-External links:* *...
within the state, and was sure to welcome servicemen returning from war. Lady Patricia, with Rosemary and Eleanor, were regular volunteers and champions of various patriotic causes. In 1945, Norrie was made a Knight of St. John, an award associated with public and charitable works.
Although normally remaining neutral in regards to local politics, he was "shocked" at the narrow rejection of Thomas Playford
Thomas Playford IV
Sir Thomas Playford, GCMG was a South Australian politician. He served continuously as Premier of South Australia from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965, the longest term of any elected government leader in the history of Australia. His tenure as premier was marked by a period of population and...
's bill to nationalise the Adelaide Electric Company. He privately exerted pressure on the bill's main opponents. When the bill was reintroduced in 1946, Sir Collier Cudmore
Collier Cudmore
Sir Collier Robert Cudmore was an Australian lawyer, politician and Olympic rower who won the Gold medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics.-Early life and rowing career:...
absented himself from key divisions, allowing the bill to pass and leading to the establishment of the Electricity Trust of South Australia
Electricity Trust of South Australia
The Electricity Trust of South Australia was the South Australian Government-owned monopoly vertically integrated electricity provider...
.
Norrie's term was extended for four years in 1948.
Despite his illustrious career, he would forever claim that his greatest achievement was the catching of a shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
weighing 2225 pounds (1,009.2 kg), with rod and reel
Fishing rod
A fishing rod or a fishing pole is a tool used to catch fish, usually in conjunction with the pastime of angling, and can also be used in competition casting. . A length of fishing line is attached to a long, flexible rod or pole: one end terminates in a hook for catching the fish...
, off Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln, South Australia
- Transport :Port Lincoln is the port for the isolated narrow gauge Eyre Peninsular Railway.There is also a subsidiary port at Proper Bay which may be restored to use for iron ore traffic. The export of iron ore through Port Lincoln has been approved by the South Australian Government. Port...
!
Governor-General of New Zealand
Norrie's KCMG was promoted to GCMG when he was appointed Governor-General of New ZealandGovernor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
in 1952, in which position he served until 1957. During his tenure he was made GCVO for personal services to the Queen. On leaving office he was created a peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
in 1957 as Baron Norrie
Baron Norrie
Baron Norrie, of Wellington in New Zealand and of Upton in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1957 for Sir Willoughby Norrie upon his retirement as Governor-General of New Zealand...
, of Wellington in the Dominion of New Zealand and of Upton in the County of Gloucester. From 1960 to 1968 he was Chancellor of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George.
Styles
- 1893-1913: Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie
- 1913-1915: LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie - 1915-1918: Lieutenant Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, MC
- 1918-1919: Captain Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, MC
- 1919-1924: Captain Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSODistinguished Service OrderThe 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...
, MC - 1924-1931: MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC - 1931-1935: Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC
- 1935-1938: ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC - 1938-1940: Colonel (Temp. BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
) Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC - 1940-June 1941: Colonel (Actg. Major-General) Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC
- June-September 1941: Major-General Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC
- September 1941-1942: Major-General (Actg. Lieutenant-General) Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, DSO, MC
- 1942-1944: Major-General (Actg. Lieutenant-General) Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, CBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO, MC - 1944-1952: Lieutenant-General SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, KCMG, CB, DSO, MC - 1952-1954: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, GCMG, CB, DSO, MC
- 1954-1957: Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, GCMG, GCVO, CB, DSO, MC
- 1957-1977: Lieutenant-General The Right HonourableThe Right HonourableThe Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
the Lord Norrie, GCMG, GCVO, CB, DSO, MC
External links
- 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
- Official biography (Government House, Wellington)
- Summary of military career
- The Arms of Lord Norrie