| Norman Aspin | |
|---|---|
| British High Commissioner to Malta | |
In office 1976–1979 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 November 1922 Lancashire |
| Died | 25 July 2011 (aged 88) Dacre, Cumbria |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Durham University |
Norman Aspin CMG (11 November 1922 – 25 July 2011) was a British diplomat who served as British High Commissioner to Malta from 1976 to 1979 and oversaw the transition of Rhodesia into the modern day state of Zimbabwe.[1][2]
Early life[]
Born in Lancashire, he was educated at Darwen Grammar School, and initially read Theology at Durham University in 1940 although his studies were put in abeyance owing to service as a lieutenant in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Upon Aspin's return to Durham, he switched to reading Geography and graduated in 1947.[3] From there he spent one year working as a Demonstrator in the Geography Department.[3]
Career[]
Aspin began his career at the Commonwealth Relations Office in 1948. His first overseas posting was to India, where he served until 1951.[3] After returning to a more senior role in the Commonwealth Relations Office for a further two years, he was posted to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1954 to 1957. This was followed by two years based at HM Treasury.[3]
Aspin became the deputy to the High Commissioner to Sierra Leone in 1961 and later became the deputy to the Ambassador to Israel[3] during which time he was awarded the CMG for his role in the six-day war. After a sabbatical at the Imperial Defence College Aspin was appointed High Commissioner to Malta, a post he held until 1979.[1]
After retiring from the Foreign Office Aspin was active in the East Africa Association and spent his remaining years in Dacre, a small village in Cumbria.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20140523225935/https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/show.php?dowid=1281. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ↑ "British High Commissioner who retired to Dacre". http://www.cwherald.com/a/archive/british-high-commissioner-who-retired-to-dacre.375739.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Aspin, Norman, (9 Nov. 1922–25 July 2011), HM Diplomatic Service, retired; Adviser and Secretary, East Africa Association, 1981–84" (in en). Who Was Who. Who's Who. 2007. Digital object identifier:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U5886. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1. http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-5886. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
The original article can be found at Norman Aspin and the edit history here.