Douglas Kendrew
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir Douglas Anthony Kendrew, KCMG, CB
, CBE
, DSO & Three Bars
, (22 July 1910 – 28 February 1989) was a British rugby player and military officer, who became Governor of Western Australia
1963-1974.
, Devon
, England
in 1910. As "Joe Kendrew", he played rugby union
for England 10 times and was captain of the team in 1935. He was a member of the 1930 British Lions tour of Australasia
but did not represent the Lions in any of the test matches.
with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment
in 1931 and was promoted to major
in 1941. During World War II
he served in North Africa
and Italy
in 1943 and served as a Brigade Commander in Italy, Greece
and the Middle East
between 1944 and 1946. His leadership and bravery saw the rare distinction of being awarded the Distinguished Service Order
four times. During the 1950s, Sir Douglas was the Commander of the British Brigade, Commonwealth Division in the Korean War
and General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations in Cyprus
. He survived an assassination attempt by EOKA
fighers which killed one of his escorts.
He was the Director of Information at the War Office
from 1959 to 1960 and then Head of British Defence Liaison Staff at the British High Commission in Canberra
from 1961 to 1963. He was promoted to Major General
in 1963.
on 25 October 1963, serving until 6 January 1974. He was so well-liked that his term was extended twice.
His daughter Marcia married Colonel Richard Abel Smith
, the son of Sir Henry Abel Smith
, a Governor of Queensland.
He returned to England, where he died in 1989.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir Douglas Anthony Kendrew, KCMG, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
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...
, DSO & Three Bars
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, (22 July 1910 – 28 February 1989) was a British rugby player and military officer, who became Governor of Western Australia
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
1963-1974.
Early years
Douglas Kendrew was born in BarnstapleBarnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1910. As "Joe Kendrew", he played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for England 10 times and was captain of the team in 1935. He was a member of the 1930 British Lions tour of Australasia
1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia was the twelfth tour by a British Isles team and the fifth to New Zealand and Australia...
but did not represent the Lions in any of the test matches.
Military career
He became a LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
with the Royal Leicestershire Regiment
Royal Leicestershire Regiment
The Royal Leicestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Royal Anglian Regiment in 1964.-1688 - 1881:...
in 1931 and was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1941. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1943 and served as a Brigade Commander in Italy, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
between 1944 and 1946. His leadership and bravery saw the rare distinction of being awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
four times. During the 1950s, Sir Douglas was the Commander of the British Brigade, Commonwealth Division in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He survived an assassination attempt by EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
fighers which killed one of his escorts.
He was the Director of Information at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
from 1959 to 1960 and then Head of British Defence Liaison Staff at the British High Commission in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
from 1961 to 1963. He was promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1963.
Governor of Western Australia
Sir Douglas Kendrew was appointed Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
on 25 October 1963, serving until 6 January 1974. He was so well-liked that his term was extended twice.
His daughter Marcia married Colonel Richard Abel Smith
Richard Abel Smith
Colonel Richard Francis Abel Smith was a British Army officer.He was the son of Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith and Lady May Abel Smith . He was born at Kensington Palace in London, England. Richard was the second of three children and the only boy...
, the son of Sir Henry Abel Smith
Henry Abel Smith
Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith KCMG KCVO DSO was a British Army officer and a Governor of Queensland.-Biography:He was born in London, on 8 March 1900, the son of Francis Abel Smith and wife Madeline St. Maur Seymour...
, a Governor of Queensland.
He returned to England, where he died in 1989.
External links
- http://www.ccentre.wa.gov.au/index.cfm?event=governorsDouglaskendrew The Constitutional Centre of Western Australia