John Crocker

General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker GCB KBE DSO MC (4 January 1896 – 9 March 1963) was a senior officer of the British Army who served as a private in World War I and as a corps commander during World War II. After the war he rose to become Adjutant-General to the Forces, the second most senior officer on the Army Council.

Early life

As related in Delaney's book 'Corps Commanders';

The son of Mary (Tredinnick) and Isaac Crocker, a secretary with the Champion Reef Gold Mining Company, John Crocker was born on 3 January 1896, one of five siblings who lived in a modest Exbury Road dwelling in Catford, Lewisham. Owing to a respiratory ailment, young John was too sickly to attend public school, so his mother, who had been widowed with five children since John was only four years old, somehow managed to send him instead to a retired parson for instruction. The parson was a voracious reader whose disciplined self-study and rectitude rubbed off on his pupil, as did a certain piety. Crocker remained a deeply religious man his entire life. Under the tutelage of his parson instructor, he also learned to think before speaking, to choose his words carefully, and never to lie. His tutor liked things done properly, something Crocker would always demand of his own charges. One subordinate would later comment that he possessed "a most penetrative insight into character and behaviour. Anyone who tried to hoodwink him was on a forlorn and dangerous path." Odd as it may have been, his unorthodox education served him well in his military career.

John Crocker (jazz musician)

John Reginald Crocker (born October 19, 1937, in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire), was the leading clarinet and saxophone player for the Chris Barber jazz band for just over 30 years, retiring February 2003. In addition to his band work, Crocker also played with musician Elton John, contributing clarinet to "Big Dipper" and tenor saxophone on "Shooting Star" for John's 1978 album "A Single Man." Since retiring Crocker has guested with several bands including Kenny Ball and a Ken Colyer tribute band.

References

John Crocker (disambiguation)

John Crocker was a British Army officer.

John Crocker may also refer to: