Charles Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie

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Baron Norrie (right) meeting Prime Minister Ben Chifley (left) and Premier of South Australia Tom Playford (centre)
Baron Norrie (right) meeting Prime Minister Ben Chifley (left) and Premier of South Australia Tom Playford (centre)

Lieutenant General Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, 1st Baron Norrie, GCMG, GCVO, CB, DSO, MC (26 September 1893 - 25 May 1977) was a British Army general during World War II. After the war he was an Australian-New Zealand political figure. He served as the Governor of South Australia between 1944 and 1952. He then served as the Governor-General of New Zealand between 1952 and 1957. 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.

After education at Eton and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst he was commissoned into the 11th Hussars in 1913. He served in World War I where he was awarded the DSO, the MC and Bar, was twice mentioned in dispatches, 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.

During World War II Norrie served as commander of 1st Armoured Brigade, Inspector of the Royal Armoured Corps, GOC 1st Armoured Division before finally seeing action as GOC XXX Corps. He commanded XXX Corps during Operation Crusader with some success. Later he was criticised for his "cavalry" approach to armoured warfare and returned to Britain prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein to be appointed Commander of the Royal Armoured Corps.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • The Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of The Second World War, Nick Smart. ISBN 1-84415-049-6
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Charles Barclay-Harvey
Governor of South Australia
1944–1952
Succeeded by
Sir Robert George
Preceded by
The Lord Freyberg
Governor-General of New Zealand
1952–1957
Succeeded by
The Viscount Cobham
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New Creation
Baron Norrie
1957–1977
Succeeded by
George Norrie
Persondata
NAME Norrie, Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie, Baron
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Military leader, viceroy
DATE OF BIRTH September 26, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH 1977
PLACE OF DEATH



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