Sir Bruce Greatbatch, KCVO, CMG, MBE, KStJ (10 June 1917 – 20 July 1989)[1] was a British Colonial Service officer and soldier who concluded his career as Governor of the Seychelles from 1969 to 1973.
Sir Bruce Greatbatch | |
|---|---|
 Sir Bruce Greatbatch in 1970 | |
| Governor of the Seychelles | |
| In office 1969–1973 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Sir James Mancham |
| Preceded by | Sir Hugh Norman-Walker |
| Succeeded by | Colin Allan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 June 1917 |
| Died | 20 July 1989 (aged 72) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Civilian awards | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Member of the Order of the British Empire |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | Royal West African Frontier Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Military awards | Mentioned in Despatches |
Early life
editGreatbatch was born on 10 June 1917, the son of W. T. Greatbatch. He was educated at Malvern College and Brasenose College, Oxford.[2]
CV
editEducation
- 1931 to 1936 Malvern College
- 1936 to 1940 Brasenose College, Oxford
- Honours degree in Modern History. Postgraduate Colonial Service Course.
Career
- 1939 Appointed Colonial Service – Northern Nigeria
- 1940 Posted To Northern Nigeria
- 1940-1945 War Service - Royal West African Frontier Force [Field Artillery]
- Burma Campaign. Mentioned in Despatches. Rank - Major.
- 1945 Resumed Colonial Service in Northern Nigeria.
- 1952 to 1954 Private Secretary to Minister of Local Government [Ahmadu Alhaji Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto]
- 1956 to 1958 Secretary to Cabinet and Executive Council, Northern Nigeria.
- 1958 to 1959 Resident, Kano Province.
- 1959 to 1963 Permanent Secretary to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, (Sir) A Ahmadu Bello Sardauna of Sokoto, and Head of the Regional Public Service
- 1963 to 1968 Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service. Deputy High Commissioner, Kenya
- 1967 to 1968 Acting High Commissioner, Kenya
- 1969 to 1974 Governor of The Seychelles and Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
- 1974 to 1978 Head of the British Development Division in the Caribbean in Barbados.
- 1978 onwards. Private consulting work including 1979 to 1980 advice on Land Transfer problems is Zimbabwe/Southern Rhodesia. Visit to Salisbury funded by the Whitson Foundation.
Chagos
editGreatbatch oversaw the forced deportation of the Chagossians between 1969 and 1973. He and his subordinate, John Rawling Todd, were accused of ordering the island's dog population of 1,000 to be gassed as a means of intimidating the Chagossians before deportation.[3] The deportation was carried out at the request of the United States government in order to construct a military base on Diego Garcia.[4]
Greatbatch oversaw the latter part of the deportation of the Chagossians between 1969 and 1973.
Honours
edit- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE, 1954)[2]
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO, 1956)[2]
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG, 1961)[2]
- Knight Bachelor (1969)[2]
- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO, 1972)[2]
References
edit- ^ "KNIGHTS AND DAMES FOX - GZ". Leighrayment.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e f "Greatbatch, Sir Bruce, (10 June 1917 – 20 July 1989)", Who's Who & Who Was Who, published online 1 December 2007, accessed 4 December 2023 (subscription required)
- ^ Evers, Sandra; Kooy, Marry (2011). Eviction from the Chagos Islands: Displacement and Struggle for Identity Against Two World Powers. Brill Publishers. p. 3. ISBN 9789004202603.
- ^ "Chagos Islanders v Attorney General Her Majesty's British Indian Ocean Territory Commissioner [2003] EWHC 2222 (QB) (09 October 2003)". bailii.org. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
External links
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