Bruce Greatbatch
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 | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Military awards | Mentioned in Despatches |
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.
Early life[edit]
Greatbatch was born on 10 June 1917, the son of W. T. Greatbatch. He was educated at Malvern College and Brasenose College, Oxford.[2]
Career[edit]
In 1940, after graduating from Oxford, Greatbatch was appointed to the Colonial Service and became a district officer in Northern Nigeria. However, during the Second World War he served from 1940 to 1945 with the Royal West African Frontier Force, seeing active service in the Burma Campaign, during which he was mentioned in despatches. After rising to the rank of Major, in 1945 he returned to the Colonial Service in Northern Nigeria. In 1956, he was promoted to Resident, and in 1957 became Secretary to the Governor and the Executive Council. In 1958 he was promoted again to Senior Resident in Kano, after which he was Secretary to the Premier of Northern Nigeria.[2] The Federation of Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960.
Greatbatch later served as British Governor of the Seychelles from 1969 to 1973.[2]
Chagos[edit]
Greatbatch oversaw the forced deportation of the Chagossians between 1968 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]
Honours[edit]
- Member of the Order of the British Empire, 1954[2]
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 1956[2]
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, 1961[2]
- Knight Bachelor, 1969[2]
- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, 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 g h "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[edit]
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- 1917 births
- 1989 deaths
- People educated at Malvern College
- Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
- Governors of British Seychelles
- Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- Knights of the Order of St John
- British expatriates in Seychelles
- British politician stubs
- Africa stubs