A Lord Lieutenant's Lot
Major Cecil Crosthwaite MBE KStJ TD*** Royal Signals
Cecil Crosthwaite
The Man Cecil Crosthwaite was born on 10th March 1909 at 34 Newlands Road, Middlesbrough, one of three children and the only son of Sir William Henry and Lady Ada Mary Crosthwaite nee Elliott. His sisters Alice Mary and Dorothy Elliott being one year older and younger respectively. His father Sir William had founded and was Chairman of the local Tees Towing Company and had been Mayor of Middlesbrough in 1925 and again in 1939 until 1943. Cecil was educated at Uppingham School in Rutland where he became a Lance Corporal in the Junior Division of the Officer Training Corps and on 10th May 1923 aged 14 was indentured as an apprentice to John Stewart Watkins of London. In 1930, aged 21 he was appointed a Director of Tees Towing Company Ltd at their Annual General Meeting and on 19th June the same year was commissioned into the 50th Divisional Signals Regiment of the Territorial Army as a Second Lieutenant being promoted to Lieutenant on 19th June 1933. On 21st September the same year he married Norah Mahoney Bowden at a service in St. Cuthbert’s Church, Marton-In-Cleveland and they took residence in Langbaurgh Hall, Great Ayton, Cleveland. On 21st March 1938 he was promoted to Captain and in 1939 at the outbreak of World War Two was embodied into the regular army becoming second in command of Number 23 Divisional Signals Regiment TA and was-
- instrumental in raising Number 2 Squadron and two anti aircraft signals sections at Middlesbrough. In 1940 he was appointed as Signals Staff Officer at Norther Command Headquarters and in 1941 was transferred to the War Office in London as a General Staff Officer (organising and planning) Directorate of Signals, dealing with the organisation and equipment of signals units throughout the Army. In this capacity he was responsible for the construction and planning of the war establishment signal formations all over the world, seeking approval for their implementation from the influential War Establishment Committee. He was demobilised and transferred back into the Territorial Army in 1946 with the rank of Temporary Major. During World War Two he was appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the New Years Honours List of 1945 and awarded the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’, in the London Gazette of 30th August 1945, subsequently becoming entitled to two further long service clasps. He was also awarded the Defence and 1939-1945 War Medal for his war service. Following the war he took over the running of the family business from his father, Tees Towing Co Ltd, and pioneered changes in tug design such as geared diesel, and cycloidal propulsion, which subsequently became standard industry practice. on 7th October 1959 Cecil ceased to belong to the
Staple of England, Chairman of the Teesside Institute of Directors and Deputy Chairman of Lyon & Lyon Ltd and on 1st April 1974 was appointed by Her Majesty as the first Lord Lieutenant (and Keepr of the Rolls) of the Countyof Cleveland. He was created a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem on 27th May 1974 and during his time as Lord Lieutenant was instrumental in arranging and coordinating the Royal Visit to Cleveland by Her Majesty the Queen on 14th July 1977 as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations when Her Majesty arrived in the Royal Yacht Britannia at Tees Dock and he was later awarded Silver Jubilee Medal. Cecil Crosthwaite was by preference a private person and his personal life was occupied by his garden, firstly at Nunthorpe and later at Great Ayton where he developed a blend of trees, alpines and lawns. Within the home his interests were European history, classical music and tapestry, his knowledge of which were vast, some of his tapestries were displayed at an exhibition in London. He had four children, Richard, who later took over as Chairman and Managing Director of the Tees Towing Company Ltd, John Jane and Hilary. Major Cecil Crosthwaite died on Christmas Day 1978 aged 69 after a long and painful illness. He was cremated and his ashes scattered on the River Tees at Sea Reach from a tug on 3rd January 1979 as had those of his parents. The entire Tees Towing Fleet circled a wreath which was committed to the waters following the scattering of his ashes and there was a memorial service for him on Thursday 4th January 1979 at St. Barnabas Church, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, the address (which is reproduced below) being given by The Right Reverend The Bishop of Whitby.
The Story The medals and attributable miniatures awarded to Major Cecil Crosthwaite MBE KStJ TD*** JP were purchased from a dealer at Aldershot Medal Fair on 15th January 1995. They were Member Of The Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire, second type military, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, 1977 Queens Silver Jubilee medal and an Efficiency Decoration, George VI first type engraved "1945" with Territorial Brooch and three additional long service bars, none of which were dated and none of the medals bore a name. It was apparent that a St. John award was missing from the group as there was an enamelled version with the miniature set.
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It was explained by the dealer that Major Crosthwaite had been Vice President of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve Association (TAVRA) in 1974, and that he had also been “Mayor or something similar in the Tyne Tees area”. After some deliberation due to the uncertainty of purchasing unnamed awards, the decision was made to buy the set and re-unite the miniatures with the full sized group that had been separated for sale by the dealer. Once safely home the arduous task of researching the recipient began with very little initial information to go on. On 16th January 1995 a number of telephone calls were made to libraries in the Tyne Tees area and the North of England TAVRA, it was established that Cecil Crosthwaite had in fact been Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the County of Cleveland from its formation in 1974, until his untimely death in 1978. The library and TAVRA were very cooperative and sent copies of Crosthwaite’s obituaries and other details from the local papers, Kelly’s Directory and Who’s Who, all of which validated the fact that he was entitled to the medals purchased, especially a picture of Crosthwaite in uniform with Her Majesty during a Silver Jubilee visit in 1977 (above). Also from the pictures it was established that the missing St. John award from the group was a Knight of Grace of the Venerable Hospital of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, this award being presented to Lord Lieutenants in their capacity as President’s of the local St. John Councils. A researcher was also employed (before the days of internet) to acquire copies of the London Gazette and Army Lists showing Crosthwaite’s promotions and appointments. Having gathered this information a telephone call was made to the Lord Lieutenant’s Office in Cleveland to obtain further information.
However they were were unable to help, except in providing the address of one Brigadier Claude Fairweather CB CBE TD JP DL who was a current Deputy Lieutenant for Cleveland and Major Crosthwaite’s Brother in Law having married his sister Alice! A letter was written to Brigadier Fairweather on 20th January 1995 requesting any information he might have on Crosthwaite. In his reply Brigadier Fairweather explained that the family of Crosthwaite had no knowledge of how the medals came to be for sale and that Mrs Crosthwaite (Cecil’s wife) had died only three months ago in October 1994. A further letter was written to the Brigadier and thus began a series of detailed correspondence. Brigadier Fairweather passed the second letter onto Mr Allan Kerr who was Major Crosthwaite’s Daughter-in-Law’s second husband, her first, Richard Crosthwaite, Cecil’s son, having been killed in a hang gliding accident in the early 1980s. Initially Mr Kerr was very suspicious and wary as to how the medals had been acquired, he wished to talk with the dealer from whom they had been purchased and would not assist with any research until he had done so! Having eventually persuaded the dealer to speak with Mr Kerr and once he was satisfied that the medals had been acquired legitimately, he did provide further information about Cecil Crosthwaite including the fact that during 1993 Mrs Mahoney Crosthwaite had been burgled and had an antique desk stolen, it was possible that all of Major Crosthwaite’s effects had been stored in the desk and subsequently sold to the pawn shop by the burglar where the dealer then seemingly acquired them. Despite requests via Mr Kerr Major Crosthwaite’s daughter, to whom copies of the letters were being passed was unwilling to become involved and it became obvious that the research could go no further without her cooperation. Following some serious thought and in view of the fact they had possibly been stolen and were unnamed, plus the potential bad feelings about their possession, the decision was made to offer them back to the family where in reality they rightfully belonged.
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As a result of this offer, Mrs Hilary Stemp, Cecil’s daughter replied personally, sending a photograph of her Father with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales on a visit to the County in 1978. She also offered to help with the research as much as she was able and did not want the medals returning. She explained that her initialreticence had been due to the fact that her mother had only died a matter of weeks before the letters began arriving. Following further exchanges of correspondence Mrs Stemp sent more pictures of and documents relating to her father. She also gave written permission for enquiries to be made at both the Army Records and Medal Office to confirm Crosthwaite’s exact medal entitlement. This confirmation was subsequently received, and using the same method a replacement Knight of Grace set was ordered from the Central Chancery of St. John in London, thus completing the full set of awards to Major Crosthwaite. When the medals were purchased in 1995, the dealer said that unless they were sold soon he would split the group and sell them separately – as he had already attempted to do with the miniatures and had already done with Crosthwaite’s Fathers medal! This research would never have taken place had he done this and Major Cecil Croshwaite would have been consigned to the history books in name only, his awards never being able to be tracked down!
Memorial Service
The Tyne Tees Towing Company Penant
ADDRESS GIVEN IN St. BARNABAS CHURCH MIDDLESBOROUGH BY THE RIGHT REVEREND THE BISHOP OF WHITBY AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE OF MAJOR CECIL CROSTHWAITE 4th JANUARY 1979
“It has been said by some unknown wit that the last enemy we have to fear is not death but the writer of one’s obituary notice, and I think the same can be said of the preacher at a memorial service. For who, God apart, really knows the secrets of a man’s heart, or in a few words do justice to a man’s whole life.There are, however, certain obvious things to which one can draw attention and which provide clues to a man’s character. One can look at his interests, his activities, and most importantly at his relationship with others. There are also certain tangible achievements – things done, movements initiated, visions shared – for which we can give thanks. Much in the last few days has already been said and written about theses things in the life of Cecil Crosthwaite – of his vision of Cleveland as a County, and his unfailing efforts to give reality to that vision – of his natural and abundant friendliness on the one hand, and his great attention to detail on the other, which have facilitated change and made it acceptable to those most affected by it. His appointment to the position of greatest honour and greatest responsibility as Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the new county, was one which gave universal satisfaction by its appropriateness – for there was no one within the county more qualified by family background and by personal gifts for this great office. And no one could have carried his duties with greater application, efficiency or care. We rejoice that he was at the helm for the two Royal Visits in the last two years, and despite his illness and physical weakness, he was able to carry out his duties with his customary dignity and care. In one sense these two occasions were a climax to a life devoted to the service of The Realm and of the area of Cleveland, a service made effective by his intimate knowledge of its people, its industries and above all its river. I make special mention of the river because so much of his business life, so many of the European as well as the local committees over which he presided so knowledgeably, centred on the Tees and the shipping industry. The River Tees, to our forebears a barrier which divided, was to Cecil Crosthwaite a gateway to wider horizons and a unifying feature to those who lived and worked on its northern and southern banks. My own knowledge of him, which deepened into friendship in the last few years, began through the Army. Though during the war years Army service took him further afield, it is not surprising that his connection with the Army originated within Cleveland in the local signal Regiment of the Territorial Army – and this at a time when the rewards were few, the demands high, but the opportunities for service great. In this sphere, as in all others, he combined technical efficiency and knowledge of his job, with a natural ability to command respect and affection, and that priceless gift of bringing the best out of others, which is the mark of the true leader of men.
I should be doing less than justice to Cecil Crosthwaite if this were all I said of him. Perhaps some of you are here today because of some formal association with him in one or more of the activities I have already mentioned. But most of you, I am sure, are here because you loved and respected him for what he was, rather than for what he did. What was he? Some will say – a devoted family man, with a family equally devoted to him. Others will remember him as a man of culture, with particular interests in music and creative arts. All who knew him well will see him as a reliable and caring friend, as a man of infinite resource, and of great courage. If I may be personal, my particular memory of him will be of these last few months of his earthly life – and of him facing up frankly and bravely to death, and seeking to be fully prepared to meet his God. He prepared for this with a faith and humility which made a deep, and I am sure lasting impression on me, and not least because they can only have sprung from a life of unobtrusive but yet vital searching for truth. In one of his best known and best loved passages, St. Paul suggests that faith, hope and love are the virtues that endure into eternity. A man endowed with these has nothing to fear when he comes face to face with his maker and redeemer. For these are truly gifts of God’s own spirit. It is in the knowledge that Cecil’s life displayed these virtues that we can look back on that life among us with thanksgiving, and with confidence now commend him to God’s keeping.
“It has been said by some unknown wit that the last enemy we have to fear is not death but the writer of one’s obituary notice, and I think the same can be said of the preacher at a memorial service. For who, God apart, really knows the secrets of a man’s heart, or in a few words do justice to a man’s whole life.There are, however, certain obvious things to which one can draw attention and which provide clues to a man’s character. One can look at his interests, his activities, and most importantly at his relationship with others. There are also certain tangible achievements – things done, movements initiated, visions shared – for which we can give thanks. Much in the last few days has already been said and written about theses things in the life of Cecil Crosthwaite – of his vision of Cleveland as a County, and his unfailing efforts to give reality to that vision – of his natural and abundant friendliness on the one hand, and his great attention to detail on the other, which have facilitated change and made it acceptable to those most affected by it. His appointment to the position of greatest honour and greatest responsibility as Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the new county, was one which gave universal satisfaction by its appropriateness – for there was no one within the county more qualified by family background and by personal gifts for this great office. And no one could have carried his duties with greater application, efficiency or care. We rejoice that he was at the helm for the two Royal Visits in the last two years, and despite his illness and physical weakness, he was able to carry out his duties with his customary dignity and care. In one sense these two occasions were a climax to a life devoted to the service of The Realm and of the area of Cleveland, a service made effective by his intimate knowledge of its people, its industries and above all its river. I make special mention of the river because so much of his business life, so many of the European as well as the local committees over which he presided so knowledgeably, centred on the Tees and the shipping industry. The River Tees, to our forebears a barrier which divided, was to Cecil Crosthwaite a gateway to wider horizons and a unifying feature to those who lived and worked on its northern and southern banks. My own knowledge of him, which deepened into friendship in the last few years, began through the Army. Though during the war years Army service took him further afield, it is not surprising that his connection with the Army originated within Cleveland in the local signal Regiment of the Territorial Army – and this at a time when the rewards were few, the demands high, but the opportunities for service great. In this sphere, as in all others, he combined technical efficiency and knowledge of his job, with a natural ability to command respect and affection, and that priceless gift of bringing the best out of others, which is the mark of the true leader of men.
I should be doing less than justice to Cecil Crosthwaite if this were all I said of him. Perhaps some of you are here today because of some formal association with him in one or more of the activities I have already mentioned. But most of you, I am sure, are here because you loved and respected him for what he was, rather than for what he did. What was he? Some will say – a devoted family man, with a family equally devoted to him. Others will remember him as a man of culture, with particular interests in music and creative arts. All who knew him well will see him as a reliable and caring friend, as a man of infinite resource, and of great courage. If I may be personal, my particular memory of him will be of these last few months of his earthly life – and of him facing up frankly and bravely to death, and seeking to be fully prepared to meet his God. He prepared for this with a faith and humility which made a deep, and I am sure lasting impression on me, and not least because they can only have sprung from a life of unobtrusive but yet vital searching for truth. In one of his best known and best loved passages, St. Paul suggests that faith, hope and love are the virtues that endure into eternity. A man endowed with these has nothing to fear when he comes face to face with his maker and redeemer. For these are truly gifts of God’s own spirit. It is in the knowledge that Cecil’s life displayed these virtues that we can look back on that life among us with thanksgiving, and with confidence now commend him to God’s keeping.
Medal Details:
- Order of St John: Unnamed as awarded.
- Member of British Empire: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Silver Jubilee 1977: Unnamed as awarded.
- Efficiency Decoration: 1945.
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This page last updated 2 Apr 16