Richard Worsley
| Sir Richard Worsley | |
|---|---|
| Born |
29 May 1923 Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 23 February 2013 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
Royal Dragoons 7th Armoured Brigade 3rd Division 1 (British) Corps |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Malayan Emergency |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
General Sir Richard Edward Worsley GCB OBE (29 May 1923 – 23 February 2013) was a senior British Army officer.
Early life
Worsley was born on 29 May 1923 at Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland, the son of Herbert Henry Knight Worsley, JP (1885-1947) of Lough House, Grey Abbey, County Down,[1] by Rose Austen (died 30 April 1958), [2] only daughter of John Alfred Hives of Upper Plain, Masterton, New Zealand, farmer,[3] and widow of Major Meyrick Myler Magrath, DSO, Royal Field Artillery, of Dorking House, Cosham, Hampshire.[4] He was educated at Radley College.[5][6][7]
His uncles were the first-class cricket batsmen A. E. Worsley and C. E. A. Worsley,[8] who both played for Northamptonshire.
Military career
Worsley was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1942.[9]
He served in World War II in the Middle East and Italy, and then in the Malayan Emergency in 1948.[10] He became an Instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst later in 1948 and then became Commanding Officer of the Royal Dragoons in 1962.[10]
He was appointed Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1965 and Chief of Staff Far East Land Forces in 1969.[10] He became General Officer Commanding 3rd Division in 1972 and Commander 1st (British) Corps in 1976.[10] His final appointment was as Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1979; he retired in 1982.[10]He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1963 [11] and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1976.[12]
He lived at Goring Heath in South Oxfordshire[13] and died on 23 February 2013.[14]
Personal life
He married on 6 May 1959 at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, London, to Sarah Anne "Sally", eldest daughter of Brigadier J. A. H. Mitchell of the British Embassy, Paris,[15] and they went on to have a son, Henry,[16] and a daughter, Charlotte.[6] On 7 Nov 1980, he married Caroline, Duchess of Fife.[17][10][6]
References
- ↑ The Times 13 Sept 1947, p.1
- ↑ The Times 1 May 1958, p.1
- ↑ Wairarapa Daily Times (New Zealand) 17 Nov 1915, p. 5
- ↑ The Times 23 Jan 1922, p.13
- ↑ Robertson-Glasgow, R. W., St. Peter's College Radley Register 1847-1962, pp. 189, 467
- 1 2 3 "General Sir Richard Worsley". The Daily Telegraph. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ Radley College Foundation Report 2004
- ↑ Keleny, Anne (20 March 2013). "General Sir Richard Worsley: Soldier who oversaw the end of Britain's presence in the Far East". The Independent. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35649. p. 3351. 31 July 1942. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Debrett's People of Today 1974
- ↑ The London Gazette (Supplement) 31 Dec 1963, p. 7
- ↑ The London Gazette 4 June 1976, p. 8016
- ↑ Cadets help pick grapes Henley Standard, 16 November 2009
- ↑ "Richard Worsley obituary", The Times, 27 February 2013
- ↑ The Times 7 May 1959, p.14
- ↑ "Explorer Henry Worsley dies attempting Antarctic crossing". 24 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ↑ The Times 8 Nov 1980, p. 16
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Glyn Gilbert |
General Officer Commanding the 3rd Division 1972–1974 |
Succeeded by Robin Carnegie |
| Preceded by Sir Jack Harman |
GOC 1st (British) Corps 1976 – 1978 |
Succeeded by Sir Peter Leng |
| Preceded by Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson |
Quartermaster-General to the Forces 1979–1982 |
Succeeded by Sir Paul Travers |