Noel Thomas
General Sir (John) Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC (28 February 1915 – 16 March 1983) was a Master-General of the Ordnance.
Sir Noel Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 February 1915 |
| Died | 16 March 1983 (aged 68) |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Military Cross |
Military career
Thomas was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1936.[1]
He served in World War II latterly as Commander Royal Engineers for the Guards Armoured Division in North West Europe.[1]
He was appointed General Officer Commanding 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District of the Territorial Army in 1963 and then became Director of Combat Development (Army) at the Ministry of Defence in 1965.[1] He was appointed Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1968 and Master-General of the Ordnance in 1971; in this capacity he was also a member of the Procurement Executive Organisation formed by Prime Minister Edward Heath that year.[2] He retired in 1974.[1]
He also served as Colonel of the Royal Pioneer Corps from 1968 to 1976.[3]
References
- "Thomas, Noel". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- Procurement Executive Organisation Flight International, 5 August 1971
- "Royal Pioneer Corps". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 19 July 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Lea |
GOC 42nd (Lancashire) Division/District 1963−1965 |
Succeeded by Bala Bredin |
| Preceded by Sir Neil Wheeler |
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) 1968–1971 |
Succeeded by Sir Ian McIntosh |
| Preceded by Sir Charles Richardson |
Master-General of the Ordnance 1971–1974 |
Succeeded by Sir John Gibbon |