Noel Mason-Macfarlane

Sir Noel Mason-Macfarlane
Lt. Gen. Sir Noel Mason-Macfarlane
Born	23 October 1889
Died	12 August 1953 (aged 63)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Royal Artillery
Commands held	44th Division Gibraltar Allied Control Commission for Italy
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Military Cross and two bars

Lieutenant General Sir Frank Noel Mason-Macfarlane, KCB,^[1] DSO, MC (23 October 1889, Cookham - 12 August 1953, Twyford) was a British soldier, administrator and politician who served as Governor of Gibraltar during World War II.

Military career

'Mason-Mac' joined the Royal Artillery in 1909 and served in World War I on the Western Front and in Mesopotamia. He was awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order.^[2] He served as Britain's military attaché to Berlin prior to World War II (and proposed the assassination of Hitler, an offer turned down by his superiors)^[3] as well as to Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark. He was Director of Military Intelligence with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) 1939-1940 and in the retreat to Dunkirk, he was operational commander of "Mac Force," an improvised formation covering the British right flank.^[4] He was Second in Command Gibraltar City and Garrison from July 1940 to March 1941. He was Head of the British Military Mission in Moscow from 1941 until 1942.^[5] He then became General Officer Commanding 44th Division.^[5]

He was Governor of Gibraltar from 31 May 1942 to 14 February 1944, and witnessed the air crash there on 4 July 1943 which took the life of his friend Polish Prime Minister Władysław Sikorski. He later served as Chief Commissioner of the Allied Control Commission for Italy in 1944, effectively head of the government.^[5]

In the 1945 general election, Mason-Macfarlane was elected as a Labour Member of Parliament for Paddington North, defeating Churchill's close ally, Brendan Bracken. He resigned in 1946. The Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed him Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 22 October 1946.^[6] This is a procedural device to effect resignation from the House of Commons since British MPs are not permitted to simply resign their seat.

It was reported in Time magazine on 24 August 1953 that "one of Britain's ablest soldier-administrators" had died of arthritis and complications from a broken leg.^[4]

His papers and correspondence are archived at the Imperial War Museum Department of Documents.

Second Bar to Military Cross

While attached to Headquarters, 41st Divisional Artillery he was awarded a second bar to his Military Cross. The citation reads as follows:

"While he was engaged on a reconnaissance another officer who was with him was severely wounded by a sniper. He removed him to a place of safety and also brought in a stretcher-bearer who was wounded by the same sniper. He then completed his reconnaissance and returned with valuable and accurate information."^[7]

References

1. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36121. p. 3529. 3 August 1943. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
2. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29438. p. 579. 14 January 1916. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
3. ^ Moorhouse, Roger (2007). Killing Hitler: The Plots, the Assassins, and the Dictator Who Cheated Death. Random House. pp. 190–92. ISBN 9780553382556. http://books.google.com/books?id=uhhoK-s1llgC&pg=PA190. 
4. ^ ^{a b} TIME Aug. 24, 1953
5. ^ ^{a b c} Generals.dk
6. ^ London Gazette: no. 37768. p. 5262. 25 October 1946. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
7. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31043. p. 14215. 2 December 1918. Retrieved 2011-02-24.

• Ewan Butler, Mason-Mac 1972
• Military service

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Noel Mason-Macfarlane

Government offices
Preceded by The Viscount Gort	Governor of Gibraltar 1942–1944	Succeeded by Sir Ralph Eastwood
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Brendan Bracken	Member of Parliament for Paddington North 1945 – 1946	Succeeded by William Field

Persondata
Name	Mason-Macfarlane, Noel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	23 October 1889
Place of birth
Date of death	12 August 1953
Place of death