Harry Tuzo General Sir Harry Craufurd Tuzo , GCB , OBE , MC ( 26 August 1917 – 7 August 1998 ) was a British Army officer who was Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe and GOC of the British Army in Northern Ireland during the early period of the Troubles . Early life . Harry Craufurd Tuzo was born in Bangalore , India , on 26 August 1917 ; the son of John Atkinson Tuzo , a British Army Officer and civil engineer , and his wife Annie Catherine ( whose maiden name was Craufurd ) . Tuzo was educated at Wellington College , Berkshire ( where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps ) and Oriel College , Oxford , where he read jurisprudence . Second World War . He first entered the British Army on 15 July 1939 as a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery , Supplementary Reserve of Officers , just prior to the outbreak of the Second World War . After a fortnight ' s training he crossed to France with the 21st Anti - Tank Regiment as part of the British Expeditionary Force . In May 1940 , he was amongst the last of those evacuated from Dunkirk , travelling in a paddle cruiser to Harwich . He stayed with his regiment engaged in coastal defence until June 1944 when they returned to France in the Invasion of Normandy . His regiment was in support of the Guards Armoured Division in Normandy where he won the Military Cross ( MC ) for his actions up to Operation Goodwood ( the breakout from Caen ) . He was then a war substantive captain and temporary major ( United Kingdom ) commanding Y Battery of the regiment consisting of self - propelled anti - tank gun s , the original recommendation for his MC mentions his actions at the Albert Canal bridgehead , the attacks on Hechtel , Elst , Sittard and particularly in support of the Coldstream Guards at Wesel ; he was slightly wounded three times during this period . Later in Germany he had the rare distinction as a battery commander of accepting the surrender of a German Admiral who was Flag Officer U Boat s . As the end of the war approached , he was granted a Regular Army commission , with the substantive rank of lieutenant ( with seniority from 24 February 1941 ) , on 17 January 1945 . He was Mentioned in Despatches on 9 August 1945 , and his MC was gazetted on 22 January 1946 . He received substantive promotion to captain on 1 July 1946 . He had married Monica Patience Salter on 5 October 1943 . Borneo . From 1963 to 1965 he commanded the 51st Gurkha Brigade in Borneo , which included Brunei in its area of operations . His Gurkha battalions worked to win the " hearts and minds " of the locals , but also participated with the SAS in Operation Claret which interdicted Indonesia n troops as they attempted to cross the border . The Sultan of Brunei honoured Tuzo with the title " Dato Setia Nagara " in 1965 . His work also earned him a Mention in Despatches . Northern Ireland . Tuzo was appointed as General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations , Northern Ireland on 2 March 1971 together with promotion to lieutenant - general . His appointment was made after the previous incumbent , Lieutenant - General Vernon Erskine - Crum suffered a heart attack . Tuzo was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) on 4 June 1971 , in the Queen ' s Birthday Honours . In 1972 , after consultation with Whitehall , Tuzo ordered Operation Motorman which sent 30 , 000 troops into Republican dominated ' no - go ' areas of West Belfast and Derry to take back control . He relinquished his position in Northern Ireland on 1 February 1973 and was replaced by Lieutenant - General Sir Frank King . Tuzo was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) on 2 June 1973 . After his service in Northern Ireland ended he was appointed Commander - in - Chief British Army of the Rhine until 1976 when he was made Deputy Supreme Allied Commander , Europe . He was placed on the retired list on 5 February 1979 . After his service in the army he accepted a position in 1979 as chairman of Marconi Space and Defence Systems which he held until 1983 . Tuzo was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk on 12 September 1983 . References .