Sir Harold Barrowclough | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Barrowclough, circa 1954 | |
| 8th Chief Justice of New Zealand | |
| In office 17 November 1953 – 17 January 1966 | |
| Nominated by | Sidney Holland |
| Appointed by | The Lord Norrie |
| Preceded by | Humphrey O'Leary |
| Succeeded by | Richard Wild |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 June 1894 Masterton, New Zealand |
| Died | 4 March 1972 (aged 77) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Years of service | 1913–1931 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands | Northern Division 3rd Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar Military Cross Efficiency Decoration Mentioned in dispatches (2) Croix de Guerre (France) War Cross (Greece) Legion of Merit (United States) |
Major General Sir Harold Eric Barrowclough KCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, ED, PC (23 June 1894 – 4 March 1972) was a New Zealand military leader, lawyer and Chief Justice from 1953 to 1966.
Born in Masterton, Barrowclough commenced legal studies in 1913 and joined the Territorial Force the same year. In 1915, partway through his law degree, he volunteered for service abroad with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and fought on the Western Front. He finished the First World War in command of a battalion in the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. After the war he finished his law studies and became a successful lawyer. He also resumed duty in the Territorial Force, serving until 1931 when he moved to Auckland to join a law firm based there.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War Barrowclough volunteered for service with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). He commanded an infantry brigade in the 2nd New Zealand Division during the campaign in Greece and Operation Crusader. In 1942, he was recommended for divisional command by his superior officer, Major General Bernard Freyberg, and was given the 3rd Division, which he led through the Solomon Islands campaign. When the division was disbanded in late 1944, he was left without a command and was eventually discharged from the 2NZEF. He returned to the legal profession, and in 1953 was appointed Chief Justice of New Zealand. He established a permanent Court of Appeal for New Zealand and also served on the Privy Council for a time. He retired in 1966 and died in Auckland in 1972 at the age of 77.