Corran Purdon
Major-General Corran Wiliam Brooke Purdon CBE MC (4 May 1921 – 27 June 2018) was an Irish-born commando in the British Army, who took part in the raid on St Nazaire for which he was awarded the Military Cross. He was subsequently a prisoner in Colditz Castle.[1][2][3][4]
Corran Purdon | |
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 Corran Purdon, Merville Battery, June 2014 | |
| Birth name | Corran William Brooke Purdon |
| Born | 4 May 1921 Cobh |
| Died | 27 June 2018 (aged 97) Wiltshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1976 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | Royal Ulster Rifles No. 12 Commando Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces Hong Kong Police Force |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces School of Infantry North West District Near East Land Forces |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Dhofar Rebellion |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Overseas Territories Police Medal |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Purdon (m. 1945-2007: her death) Jean Otway (m. 2009-2018: his death) |
| Children | Tim, Angela and Patrick (deceased). |
Early life
Purdon was born on 4 May 1921 in Cobh, near Cork, Ireland, during the Irish War of Independence. His father worked for the army as a medical officer and his mother was a homemaker. In the early 1920s the family moved to India. In 1926, after his father completed his tour with the Indian Army, the family moved to Belfast. Purdon was educated firstly in India, then at Campbell College in Belfast and, finally, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[5]
Career
Military career
Purdon was commissioned into the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1939 at the start of the Second World War.[5] He was attached to No. 12 Commando and saw action with that unit in the raid on St Nazaire, for which he was awarded the Military Cross.[1] He was subsequently imprisoned in Colditz Castle for a year.[1]
He became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles in 1962 and in that role was deployed to Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.[5] He went on to be Commander, Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces and Director of Operations during the Dhofar Rebellion in 1967, Commandant, School of Infantry in 1970 and General Officer Commanding North West District in 1972.[5] His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding, Near East Land Forces in 1974 before retiring in 1976.[5]
Police career
After retiring the British Army, Purdon was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) in 1978, and worked for it until his retirement in 1981 at the age of 60. [1]
Family
In 1945, Purdon married Maureen Patricia Petrie; they had two sons and one daughter. Patricia died from cancer in 2007 leaving Purdon a widower. In 2009 at the age of 88, years after the death of his first wife, Purdon married Jean Ottway the widow of his cousin. Purdon and Ottway remained married until Purdon's death.[5]
Death
Purdon died in his sleep of natural causes at his home in the early hours on 27 June 2018 at the advanced age of 97 with his family at his side.[1]
Media and events
Purdon appeared in some history-related documentaries. In March 2009, Purdon, then aged 87, along with Micky Burn (1912-2010) and Dr Bill 'Tiger' Watson' (1921-2018) went to Saint-Nazaire to commemorate the raid while filming a feature-film documentary adapted from Burn's 2003 autobiography Turned Towards the Sun.[6]
In March 2012, Purdon, then aged 90, was made guest of honour in St Nazaire at the 70th anniversary celebratory event of the St Nazaire Raid. In June 2014, Purdon, then aged 93, attended the 70th anniversary celebratory event of the D-Day Landings.[7]
References
- "Major-General Corran Purdon obituary". Thetimes.co.uk. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- "War hero who escaped Colditz dies aged 97". The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- "Purdon, Corran William Brooke (Oral history)". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
- "Major General Corran Purdon". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-1414-8
- "Turned Towards the Sun". IMDB. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- "Veterans recall their raid on St Nazaire". Sunday Times. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by James Wilson |
General Officer Commanding North West District 1972–1974 |
Succeeded by Keith McQueen |
Authority control  |
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