General Sir Richard Edward Worsley, GCB, OBE (29 May 1923 – 23 February 2013) was a senior British Army officer who fought in the Second World War and later commanded 1st (British) Corps.
Sir Richard Worsley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 May 1923 Ballywalter, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 23 February 2013 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1982 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) |
| Commands | 1st (British) Corps 3rd Division 7th Armoured Brigade 1st The Royal Dragoons |
| Battles / wars | Second World War Malayan Emergency |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Anne Mitchell Caroline Carnegie, Duchess of Fife |
| Relations | Henry Worsley (son) |
Early life
editWorsley 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.[9][10]
Military career
editDuring the Second World War Worsley was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the British Army's Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) in 1942.[11] He served in the Middle East and Italy.[8]
After the war he then served in the Malayan Emergency in 1948.[12] He became an instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst later in 1948 and then became Commanding Officer (CO) of the 1st The Royal Dragoons in 1962.[12]
He took command of the 7th Armoured Brigade in 1965 and Chief of Staff Far East Land Forces in 1969.[12] He became General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3rd Division in 1972 and GOC 1st (British) Corps in 1976.[12] His final appointment was as Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1979; he retired in 1982.[12] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1964 New Year Honours[13] and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1976 Birthday Honours.[14] He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1982 New Year Honours.[15]
He lived at Goring Heath in South Oxfordshire[16] and died on 23 February 2013.[17]
Personal life
editHe 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,[18] and they went on to have a son, Henry,[19] and a daughter, Charlotte.[6] On 7 Nov 1980, he married Caroline Carnegie, Duchess of Fife.[20][12][6]
References
edit- ^ 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
- ^ a b c "General Sir Richard Worsley". The Daily Telegraph. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ^ Radley College Foundation Report 2004
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Arthur Worsley at CricketArchive
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Charles Worsley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
- ^ "No. 35649". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 July 1942. p. 3351.
- ^ a b c d e f Debrett's People of Today 1974
- ^ "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1963. p. 7.
- ^ "No. 46919". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1976. p. 8016.
- ^ "No. 48837". The London Gazette. 30 December 1981. p. 2.
- ^ 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". BBC. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
- ^ The Times 8 Nov 1980, p. 16