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Harry Tuzo

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Sir Harry Tuzo
Born(1917-08-26)26 August 1917
Bangalore,British India
Died7 August 1998(1998-08-07)(aged 80)
Norwich,Norfolk,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1939–1978
RankGeneral
Service number94690
UnitRoyal Artillery
CommandsDeputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe(1976–78)
Northern Army Group(1973–76)
Northern Ireland(1971–73)
Royal Artillery (1969–71)
51 Gurkha Infantry Brigade(1963–65)
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery(1960–62)
Battles/warsSecond World War
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Northern Ireland
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches(2)
Other workChairman, Marconi Space and Defence Systems (1979–83)
Chairman,Royal United Services Institute(1980–83)

GeneralSir Harry Crawford Tuzo,GCB,OBE,MC,DL(26 August 1917 – 7 August 1998), was aBritish Armyofficer who wasDeputy Supreme Allied Commander EuropeandGeneral Officer Commandingof the British Army inNorthern Irelandduring the early period ofthe Troubles.

Early life

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Harry Craufurd Tuzo was born inBangalore,India,on 26 August 1917, the son of John Atkinson Tuzo, a British Army officer andcivil engineer,and his wife Annie Catherine (née Craufurd).[1][2][3]Tuzo was educated atWellington College, Berkshire(where he was a member of theOfficer Training Corps[4]), andOriel College, Oxford,where he readjurisprudence.[1]

Second World War

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Tuzo first entered the British Army on 15 July 1939 as asecond lieutenantin theRoyal Artillery,Supplementary Reserve of Officers,[4]just prior to the outbreak of theSecond World Warin September. After a fortnight's training he crossed to France with the21st Anti-Tank Regiment,Royal Artillery, which was part of the3rd Infantry DivisionunderMajor GeneralBernard Montgomery.The division was part of theBritish Expeditionary Force(BEF). Remaining there and seeing no action until theGerman Armyinvaded Francein May 1940, he was amongst the last of thoseevacuated from Dunkirk,travelling in a paddle cruiser toHarwich.

He stayed with his regiment, which in 1942 transferred to theGuards Armoured Division,engaged in coastal defence until June 1944 when they returned to France in theinvasion of Normandy.His regiment was in support of the division inNormandywhere he won theMilitary Cross(MC) for his actions up toOperation Goodwood(the breakout fromCaen).[1]He was then a war substantivecaptainand temporarymajorcommanding YBatteryof the regiment consisting ofself-propelledanti-tank guns,the original recommendation for his MC mentions his actions at theAlbert Canalbridgehead,the attacks onHechtel,Elst[nl],Sittardand particularly in support of theColdstream GuardsatWesel;he was slightly wounded three times during this period.[5]Later in Germany he had the rare distinction as a battery commander of accepting the surrender of a Germanadmiralwho wasFlag OfficerU-boats.[2]As the end of the war approached, he was granted a Regular Army commission, with the substantive rank oflieutenant(with seniority from 24 February 1941), on 17 January 1945.[6]He wasMentioned in Despatcheson 9 August 1945,[7]and his MC wasgazettedon 22 January 1946.[8]He received substantive promotion tocaptainon 1 July 1946.[9]He had married Monica Patience Salter on 5 October 1943.[1]

Borneo

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From 1963 to 1965 he commanded the51st Gurkha BrigadeinBorneo,which includedBruneiin its area of operations. HisGurkhabattalions worked to win the "hearts and minds"of the locals, but also participated with theSASinOperation Claret,which interdicted Indonesian troops as they attempted to cross the border. TheSultan of Bruneihonoured Tuzo with the titleDato Setia Nagarain 1965.[2]His work also earned him aMention in Despatches.[10]

Northern Ireland

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Tuzo was appointed as General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations, Northern Ireland, on 2 March 1971 together with promotion tolieutenant general.[11]His appointment was made after the previous incumbent, Lieutenant GeneralVernon Erskine-Crum,suffered aheart attack.[12]Tuzo was appointedKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath(KCB) on 4 June 1971, in theQueen's Birthday Honours.[13]In 1972, after consultation withWhitehall,Tuzo orderedOperation Motorman,which sent 30,000 troops intoRepublicandominated'no-go' areasof WestBelfastandDerryto take back control.[2]He relinquished his position in Northern Ireland on 1 February 1973 and was replaced by Lieutenant GeneralSir Frank King.[14][15]Tuzo was promoted toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath(GCB) on 2 June 1973.[16]

After his service in Northern Ireland ended Tuzo was appointed Commander-in-ChiefBritish Army of the Rhineuntil 1976, when he was madeDeputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.[2]He was placed on the retired list on 5 February 1979.[17]After his service in the army he accepted a position in 1979 as chairman of Marconi Space and Defence Systems which he held until 1983.[18]

Norfolk

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Tuzo was appointed aDeputy LieutenantofNorfolkon 12 September 1983.[19]He lived inFakenham[20]and was chairman ofPensthorpe Nature Reserve.[2]Tuzo's granddaughter is the journalistRosie Garthwaite.

References

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  1. ^abcdHarnden, Toby(2004)."Tuzo, Sir Harry Craufurd (1917–1998)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/70774.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  2. ^abcdefObituary: General Sir Harry Tuzo,The Independent,19 August 1998, archived by findarticles.com from the original. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
  3. ^"No. 30393".The London Gazette(Supplement). 20 November 1917. p. 12097.
  4. ^ab"No. 34645".The London Gazette.14 July 1939. pp. 4836–4837.
  5. ^"Recommendations for Honours and Awards—Image details—Tuzo, Harry Crawford"(Fee may be required to view full image of original recommendation).Documents Online.The National Archives.Retrieved9 September2008.
  6. ^"No. 36892".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 January 1945. p. 392.
  7. ^"No. 37213".The London Gazette(Supplement). 7 August 1945. pp. 4044–4046.
  8. ^"No. 37442".The London Gazette(Supplement). 22 January 1946. pp. 635–637.
  9. ^"No. 37635".The London Gazette(Supplement). 28 June 1946. pp. 3366–3367.
  10. ^"No. 43837".The London Gazette(Supplement). 10 December 1965. p. 11680.
  11. ^"No. 45322".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 March 1971. p. 2269.
  12. ^Bew, Paul;Gordon Gillespie (1993).Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1993.Gill & Macmillan.p. 32.ISBN0-7171-2081-3.
  13. ^"No. 45384".The London Gazette(Supplement). 4 June 1971. p. 5958.
  14. ^"No. 45899".The London Gazette(Supplement). 5 February 1973. p. 1680.
  15. ^Bew, Paul;Gordon Gillespie (1993).Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1993.Gill & Macmillan.p. 58.ISBN0-7171-2081-3.
  16. ^"No. 45984".The London Gazette(Supplement). 22 May 1973. p. 6474.
  17. ^"No. 47768".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 February 1979. p. 1982.
  18. ^"Tuzo, Sir Harry (Craufurd) (1917–1998), General".Liddell-Hart Centre for Military Archives.King's College London.Retrieved30 September2008.
  19. ^"No. 49474".The London Gazette.12 September 1983. pp. 11950–11950.
  20. ^A genealogical survey of the peerage of BritainRetrieved 2016-11-05.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC British Army in Northern Ireland
1971–1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by C-in-C British Army of the Rhine
1973–1976
Preceded by Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe
1976–1978 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Master Gunner, St James's Park
1977–1983 		Succeeded by
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