Desmond Fitzpatrick

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Sir

Desmond Fitzpatrick
Mentioned in Despatches
Other workLieutenant Governor of Jersey
Gold Stick

Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. After his retirement from the army he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jersey and later held a ceremonial position in the Royal Household
.

Early life

Fitzpatrick was born on 14 December 1912 in

1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine, and on 22 December 1939 Fitzpatrick received the Military Cross for his role in operations there.[1][7]

Second World War

Fitzpatrick was promoted to

London Gazette in October 1943.[10] By now he was an acting lieutenant colonel.[10] The recommendation for the MBE credits his planning for he successful deployment of 2nd Armoured Brigade during the battle, and also comments on his "personal example, often under heavy shell fire" while at the Tactical HQ during the battle itself, from where he passed back valuable information to the higher-level formations which had a material effect on the outcome of the battle.[1][11]

Fitzpatrick next served as a staff officer with the

prisoners of war and 12,000 other prisoners.[3] His regiment also liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.[1] For his leadership during this period, by which time he was a temporary lieutenant colonel, he was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order on 14 July 1945.[12][13]

Post-war career

After the war, Fitzpatrick received substantive to promotion to major on 1 July 1946,

Polaris Missile.[3] He relinquished the post on 14 February 1964.[23]

On 25 March 1964, he became the Chief of Staff of the

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours, by which time, and he had also been appointed honorary colonel of the Royals.[26] He left Northern Ireland on 9 July 1966,[27] and succeeded Geoffrey Baker as Vice Chief of the General Staff on 25 July.[28][29] Next, on 1 May 1968 he relinquished that post,[30] and on 10 July he was given the local rank of general and appointed to command the British Army of the Rhine and the NATO Northern Army Group,[1][31] his rank became substantive on 1 October.[32] During his time with the Northern Army Group, Fitzpatrick became well respected among his NATO colleagues "for his intellectual capabilities and for his finesse in dealing with international problems" and acquired a reputation as a soldier with particular skill for diplomacy.[3] He relinquished the colonelcy of the Royals on 29 March 1969 when the regiment was amalgamated into the Blues and Royals, becoming deputy colonel of the new regiment until 9 December 1974.[33][34] He was appointed ADC (General) on 9 January 1970.[35]

Because of his skill and good reputation, Fitzpatrick appointment as

Colonel Commandant of the Royal Armoured Corps on 1 April 1971.[39] He served as DSACEUR until 12 November 1973,[40] and retired from the Army on 26 January 1974.[41]

Retirement

After retiring, Fitzpatrick was appointed to a five-year term

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1997 New Year Honours.[45] He died on 12 October 2002 at the age of 89.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick". The Daily Telegraph. UK. 18 October 2002.
  2. ^ "Brig.-Gen. Sir Ernest Richard Fitzpatrick". The Peerage. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick – Obituary". The Times. UK. 17 October 2002. p. 36.
  4. ^ "Scholarships for Army Officers". The Times. 30 September 1932. p. 5F.
  5. ^ "No. 33860". The London Gazette. 2 September 1932. p. 5622.
  6. ^ "No. 34195". The London Gazette. 3 September 1935. p. 5595.
  7. ^ "No. 34758". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 December 1939. p. 8529.
  8. ^ "No. 34936". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 August 1940. p. 5327.
  9. ^ "No. 36065". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 June 1943. p. 2853.
  10. ^ a b "No. 36209". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 October 1943. p. 4541.
  11. ^ "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Fitzpatrick, Geoffrey Richard Desmond—Member of British Empire(sic)" (fee may be payable to view the original recommendation in full). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  12. ^ "No. 37172". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 July 1945. p. 3590.
  13. ^ "Recommendations for Honours and Awards (Army)—Image details—Fitzpatrick, Geoffrey Richard Desmond—Distinguished Service Order" (fee may be payable to view the original recommendation in full). DocumentsOnline. The National Archives. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  14. ^ "No. 37635". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1946. p. 3362.
  15. ^ "No. 39397". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1951. p. 6239.
  16. ^ "No. 39741". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1952. p. 79.
  17. ^ "No. 40100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 February 1954. p. 991.
  18. ^ "No. 41638". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 February 1959. p. 1223.
  19. ^ "No. 41873". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1959. p. 7353.
  20. ^ "No. 41890". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1959. p. 7845.
  21. ^ "No. 42370". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1961. p. 4145.
  22. ^ "No. 42517". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1961. p. 8435.
  23. ^ "No. 43244". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 February 1964. p. 1343.
  24. ^ "No. 43281". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 March 1964. p. 2757.
  25. ^ "No. 43665". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1965. p. 5353.
  26. ^ "No. 43667". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1965. p. 5473.
  27. ^ "No. 44049". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 July 1966. p. 7817.
  28. ^ "New Vice-Chief of General Staff". The Times. 16 December 1965. p. 7D.
  29. ^ "No. 44062". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 July 1966. p. 8365.
  30. ^ "No. 44580". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 May 1968. p. 5181.
  31. ^ "No. 44639". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1968. p. 8109.
  32. ^ "No. 44686". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 September 1968. p. 10529.
  33. ^ "No. 44819". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 March 1969. pp. 3453–3454.
  34. ^ "No. 46469". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 January 1975. p. 852.
  35. ^ "No. 45078". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1970. p. 4173.
  36. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. 19 April 1970. p. 6D.
  37. ^ "No. 45240". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 November 1970. p. 13110.
  38. ^ "No. 45262". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1970. p. 2.
  39. ^ "No. 45337". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 April 1971. p. 3336.
  40. ^ "No. 46125". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 November 1973. p. 13472.
  41. ^ "No. 46194". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 January 1974. p. 1196.
  42. ^ "Latest Appointments". The Times. 6 October 1973. p. 4A.
  43. ^ Tomlinson, Richard (20 December 1992). "They also serve, who only ush". The Independent.
  44. ^ "No. 48080". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 January 1980. p. 1441.
  45. ^ "No. 54625". The London Gazette. 30 December 1996. p. 4.

External links

Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of 1st The Royal Dragoons
1964–1969 		Amalgamated to form Blues and Royals
New title
Regiment formed by amalgamation
 Deputy Colonel of the Blues and Royals
1969–1979 		Post abolished
Preceded by Colonel of the Blues and Royals
1979–1998 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland

1965–1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice Chief of the General Staff
1966–1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine

1968–1970 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
1974–1979 		Succeeded by
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