Michael Harbottle
Encyclopedia
Brigadier Michael Neale Harbottle, OBE
(7 February 1917 - 30 April 1997) was a senior British Army officer who was Chief of Staff of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
from 1966 to 1968 and a peace campaigner.
Michael Harbottle was born in Littlehampton
, Sussex
and educated at Marlborough College
and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
in 1937. A left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox, he played a first-class
cricket
match for the Army
in 1937 against Oxford University
. He had considerable success in the match, scoring 156 runs in his only first-class innings, before being dismissed by Desmond Eagar
. He also played for Dorset
at a Minor counties level from 1937 to 1956, although infrequently due to his military commitments. He served in the Second World War, commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)
from 1959 to 1962 and was Garrison Commander in Aden
from 1962 to 1964. He commanded 129 Infantry Brigade, TA from 1964 to 1966. He was Chief of Staff of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus from 1966 to 1968. He retired from the Army in 1968.
He was Vice President of the International Peace Academy from 1971 to 1973. Harbottle was Visiting Senior Lecturer (Peace Studies) at Bradford University from 1974 to 1979. He was Vice President of the United Nations Association UK
from 1974, and General Secretary of the World Disarmament Campaign from 1980 to 1982. He took part in setting up Generals (Retired) for Peace and Disarmament in 1981. In 1983, he and his wife Eirwen Harbottle set up the Centre for International Peacebuilding. He was the coordinator for the Worldwide Consultative Association of Retired Generals and Admirals from 1991. Harbottle was the author and coauthor of a number of books on the United Nations, Peacekeeping and Disarmament. He lived in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. He was appointed OBE in 1959.
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...
(7 February 1917 - 30 April 1997) was a senior British Army officer who was Chief of Staff of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
from 1966 to 1968 and a peace campaigner.
Michael Harbottle was born in Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
in 1937. A left-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox, he played a first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match for the Army
British Army cricket team
The Army cricket team is a cricket side representing the British Army. The team played a number of first-class matches between 1912 and 1939, although a combined "Army and Navy" side had played two games against a combined Oxford and Cambridge team in 1910 and 1911...
in 1937 against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
. He had considerable success in the match, scoring 156 runs in his only first-class innings, before being dismissed by Desmond Eagar
Desmond Eagar
Edward Desmond Russell Eagar was an English cricketer who as secretary and captain of Hampshire was instrumental, through organisation, captaincy and recruitment, in raising the county team from perennial also-rans to the point where, in the seasons after he retired from playing, it was...
. He also played for Dorset
Dorset County Cricket Club
Dorset County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Dorset and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
at a Minor counties level from 1937 to 1956, although infrequently due to his military commitments. He served in the Second World War, commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd)
Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
from 1959 to 1962 and was Garrison Commander in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
from 1962 to 1964. He commanded 129 Infantry Brigade, TA from 1964 to 1966. He was Chief of Staff of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus from 1966 to 1968. He retired from the Army in 1968.
He was Vice President of the International Peace Academy from 1971 to 1973. Harbottle was Visiting Senior Lecturer (Peace Studies) at Bradford University from 1974 to 1979. He was Vice President of the United Nations Association UK
United Nations Association UK
right|The United Nations Association of the UK is the leading independent policy authority on the UN in the UK and a UK-wide grassroots membership organisation.-Activities:...
from 1974, and General Secretary of the World Disarmament Campaign from 1980 to 1982. He took part in setting up Generals (Retired) for Peace and Disarmament in 1981. In 1983, he and his wife Eirwen Harbottle set up the Centre for International Peacebuilding. He was the coordinator for the Worldwide Consultative Association of Retired Generals and Admirals from 1991. Harbottle was the author and coauthor of a number of books on the United Nations, Peacekeeping and Disarmament. He lived in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. He was appointed OBE in 1959.
Publications
- The Impartial Soldier, London ; New York : Oxford Univ. Press, 1970. ISBN 0192149830
- The Blue Berets, London : Leo Cooper, 1971 ISBN 0850520789