Andrew Croft
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Colonel Noel Andrew Cotton Croft DSO OBE (November 30, 1906 — June 26, 1998), was a member of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, with operations in Norway and Corsica, as well as Military attaché to Sweden, an explorer, holding the longest self-sustaining journey in the Guinness Book of Records for more than 60 years (across Greenland), and Commandant of the Cadet Corps of the Metropolitan Police Service. He also stepped down with his leader, Eric Shipton, from the 1953 Everest Expedition which summitted the mountain that year. He was a recipient of the Polar Medal.[1]
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[edit] Early Life
Noel Andrew Croft was born on November 30, 1906, St Andrews Day, in Stevenage in Hertfordshire where his father, Robert, was the local vicar. After two prep schools, he attended Lancing College, before becoming one of the founding pupils at Stowe School, and then going up to Christ Church, Oxford in 1925.[2]
[edit] War service and army career
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 15 March 1945.[3] Following the end of the war he was granted a regular commission on 21 May 1949, backdated to his original commissioning.[4]
[edit] Later life
In 1960 Croft became the first Commandant of the Metropolitan Police's Hendon Police College, and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1970 New Year Honours for his successful development of the Corps of Cadets.[2][5]
[edit] References
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35449, page 654, 6 February 1942. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ a b London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44999, page 2, 30 December 1969. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36983, page 1427, 13 March 1945. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38615, page 2463, 20 May 1949. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
- ^ Glen, Alexander R. (2004). ‘Croft, (Noel) Andrew Cotton (1906–1998)’. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. DOI:10.1093/ref:odnb/70174. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund (http://www.acmf.org.uk/)
