David Thorne (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir David Calthrop Thorne KBE
CVO
(13 December 1933 - 23 April 2000) was a British Army
officer who commanded 1st Armoured Division.
, Mullens was commissioned into the Royal Norfolk Regiment
in 1952. He was a keen cricket
er and played for the Combined Services cricket team
in 1964. He was given command of 1st Bn the Royal Anglian Regiment
in 1972. He was appointed Commander of 3rd Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland
in 1977, in which capacity in 1979 he was the first officer to brief Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
on the Warrenpoint ambush
, before becoming Vice Quartermaster-General in 1981 and Commander of British Forces in the Falkland Islands
in 1982. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
1st Armoured Division in 1983 and Director of Infantry in 1986, in which role he defeated a proposal for posting officers which he believed would undermine the regimental system. He retired in 1988.
In retirement he became Director General of the Royal Commonwealth Society
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(13 December 1933 - 23 April 2000) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded 1st Armoured Division.
Military career
Educated at St Edward's School, Oxford and the Royal Military Academy SandhurstRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Mullens was commissioned into the Royal Norfolk Regiment
Royal Norfolk Regiment
The Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The Norfolk Regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as the county regiment of Norfolk...
in 1952. He was a keen cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and played for the Combined Services cricket team
Combined Services cricket team
The Combined Services cricket team represents the British armed forces. The team played at first-class level in England for more than forty years in the mid-twentieth century. Their first first-class match was against Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1920, while their last was against Oxford...
in 1964. He was given command of 1st Bn the Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
in 1972. He was appointed Commander of 3rd Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in 1977, in which capacity in 1979 he was the first officer to brief Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
on the Warrenpoint ambush
Warrenpoint ambush
The Warrenpoint ambush or the Warrenpoint massacre was a guerrilla assault by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on 27 August 1979. The IRA attacked a British Army convoy with two large bombs at Narrow Water Castle , Northern Ireland...
, before becoming Vice Quartermaster-General in 1981 and Commander of British Forces in the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
in 1982. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
1st Armoured Division in 1983 and Director of Infantry in 1986, in which role he defeated a proposal for posting officers which he believed would undermine the regimental system. He retired in 1988.
In retirement he became Director General of the Royal Commonwealth Society
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
.