Peter Hill-Norton

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

.

Naval career

Born the son of Captain Martin John Norton RFC and Margery Birnie Norton (née Hill), Peter John Norton (he changed his surname to Hill-Norton in 1931)^[1] was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.^[2] He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1928 and, having been promoted to midshipman on 1 May 1932, was posted to the cruiser HMS London later that year.^[3] He transferred to the battleship HMS Rodney in September 1934 and, having been promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1935,^[4] he was posted to the battleship HMS Ramillies in August 1936.^[3] Promoted to lieutenant on 1 October 1936,^[5] he attended the gunnery course at the shore establishment HMS Excellent in 1939.^[3]

Hill-Norton served during the Second World War initially as a gunnery instructor at HMS Excellent and then as gunnery officer on the cruiser

Eastern Fleet later that year.^[3] With HMS Howe he took part in the attack on the Sakishima Islands.^[6]

The Polaris missile improvement programme was approved by Hill-Norton as First Sea Lord

After the end of the War Hill-Norton became gunnery officer on the cruiser

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1970 Birthday Honours.^[16]

Hill-Norton was swiftly propelled into the post of

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in 1974, remaining in that post until his retirement in 1977.^[9]

Later career

Hill-Norton was made a

UFOs, writing about them and expressing concern in Parliament about the potential destruction of files on them.^[23]

Hill-Norton's interests included gardening and shooting.[2] He lived at Hyde near Fordingbridge in Hampshire and died of a heart attack at Studland Bay in Dorset on 16 May 2004.^[1]

Family

In 1936 he married Eileen Linstow; they had one son (Vice Admiral Sir Nicholas Hill-Norton) and one daughter.^[2]

Arms

Coat of arms of Peter Hill-Norton
Crest Out of a naval crown Or on a mount Vert a springbok trippant Proper. Escutcheon On a bend Gules between in chief a terrestrial sphere Proper and in base three cannon balls Sable within an annulet Azure four anchors Or. Supporters On either side a hippocampus holding in the tail an anchor Proper. Motto Try Harder^[24]

References

^
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/93760. Retrieved 8 September 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

^
ISBN 1 870520 19 X

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Heathcote, p. 114
^ "No. 34314". The London Gazette. 14 August 1936. p. 5343.
^ "No. 34379". The London Gazette. 12 March 1937. p. 1641.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton". The Telegraph. London. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ "No. 36522". The London Gazette. 19 May 1944. p. 2297.
^ "No. 39749". The London Gazette. 9 January 1953. p. 220.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Heathcote, p. 115
^ "No. 42516". The London Gazette. 17 November 1961. p. 8344.
^ "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1964. p. 2.
^ "No. 43758". The London Gazette. 7 September 1965. p. 8447.
^ "No. 44210". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1966. p. 2.
^ "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton". The Guardian. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ "No. 44699". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 October 1968. p. 11321.
^ "No. 45117". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1970. p. 6366.
^ "No. 45331". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 March 1971. p. 2937.
^ "No. 45168". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1970. p. 8853.
^ "No. 47765". The London Gazette. 8 February 1979. p. 1737.
^ Heathcote, p. 116
^ "Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889)". Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ "Seapower". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ "House of Lords questions". Hansard. 3 May 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ Debrett's Peerage. 2003. p. 795.

Sources

Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword Ltd.
ISBN 0-85052-835-6
.

External links

The Papers of Peter Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton, held at Churchill Archives Centre

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Desmond Dreyer	Second Sea Lord 1967	Succeeded by Sir Frank Twiss
Preceded by Sir John Bush	Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1967–1969	Succeeded by Sir Edward Ashmore
Preceded by Sir Michael Carver	Commander-in-Chief Far East Command 1969–1970	Succeeded by Sir Brian Burnett
Preceded by Sir Michael Le Fanu	First Sea Lord 1970–1971	Succeeded by Sir Michael Pollock
Preceded by Sir Charles Elworthy	Chief of the Defence Staff 1971–1973	Succeeded by Sir Michael Carver
Preceded by Johannes Steinhoff	Chairman of the NATO Military Committee 1974–1977	Succeeded by Herman Zeiner Gunderson

[odnb-1] 
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/93760. Retrieved 8 September 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

[debrett-2] 
ISBN 1 870520 19 X

[heath114-3] Heathcote, p. 114

[4] "No. 34314". The London Gazette. 14 August 1936. p. 5343.

[5] "No. 34379". The London Gazette. 12 March 1937. p. 1641.

[tele-6] "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton". The Telegraph. London. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[7] "No. 36522". The London Gazette. 19 May 1944. p. 2297.

[8] "No. 39749". The London Gazette. 9 January 1953. p. 220.

[heath115-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Heathcote, p. 115

[10] "No. 42516". The London Gazette. 17 November 1961. p. 8344.

[11] "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1964. p. 2.

[12] "No. 43758". The London Gazette. 7 September 1965. p. 8447.

[13] "No. 44210". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1966. p. 2.

[guardian-14] "Obituary: Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton". The Guardian. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[15] "No. 44699". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 October 1968. p. 11321.

[16] "No. 45117". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1970. p. 6366.

[17] "No. 45331". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 March 1971. p. 2937.

[18] "No. 45168". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 August 1970. p. 8853.

[19] "No. 47765". The London Gazette. 8 February 1979. p. 1737.

[heath116-20] Heathcote, p. 116

[21] "Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889)". Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[22] "Seapower". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[23] "House of Lords questions". Hansard. 3 May 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[24] Debrett's Peerage. 2003. p. 795.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[16]

[9]

[23]

[24]

First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones Sir Antony Radakin Sir Ben Key

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	Germany Israel United States Sweden Australia Netherlands
People	Trove UK Parliament
Other	SNAC IdRef