SECRETARY
OF STATE
FOR
WAR
2
148
26th June, 1940.
dy
Jean George,
You asked me on the telephone today to let you have particulars of the service of Major-General E.F.Horton, C.B., D.S.0., M.C., whom I suggested to you as the Military Governor at Hong Kong.
Norton's age is now 56 and 3 months. He was first commissioned in the R.A., 1902.
He served in France and Belgium throughout the war of 1914-18, holding various Staff appointments and Commands, being mentioned in Despatches three times and earning a brevet majority, the D.S.C. and M.C.
Since the war he has held various Staff
appointments, including Chief Instructor at the Staff college, Quetta, and an important General Staff post et Aldershot. He is a graduate of the Imperial Defence College.
He went to India early in 1938 on special
employment, was then appointed District Commander, Madras, and has recently been transferred from there to the Command of the Western District.
You will probably remember also that he led the Everest Expedition a few years ago and in his attempt to rescue two of the party, who had failed to return from their effort to get to the summit, reached the highest altitude ever attained by a man without oxygen.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Lloyd,
GCSI., GCIE., DSO.,
Colonial Office.
That/