Talk:Vernon Erskine-Crum

Date of heart-attack
We sem to be getting in a bit of a tangle here. Erskine Crum was appointed GOC on 4 February, and relieved on 2 March. CAIN implies he'd already had a heart attack by then, but didn't die until 17 March. We now have text in this article saying he had a heart-attack on the 16th (by implication 16 February from where it's sited in the text), but then it's later stated he died in hospital the day after the heart-attack. David Underdown (talk) 15:30, 1 September 2008 (UTC)


 * It probably looks confusing because I hadn't read the previous sentence in relation to my addition/change, or something. According to the Bew book, entry dated 3rd of Feb 1971,

"On the following day Lieutenant-General Vernon Erskine-Crum succeeds Sir Ian Freeland as Army GOC in Northern Ireland; however he suffers a severe heart attack 12 days later and days in hospital on 17 March. [and now I see where I went wrong!] On 2 March Erskine-Crum is replaced by Lieutenant-General Harry Tuzo who proves to be a controversial appointment in as much as he plays a greater political role in NI affairs than any other GOC."


 * I'll sort it then! --Setanta747 (talk) 16:14, 1 September 2008 (UTC)


 * I see from your references that he was promoted from Major-General to Lieutenant General from 4th Feb, the date he became GOC NI. Normally that rank carries an automatic knighthood: presumably he died before that could be arranged? NRPanikker (talk) 07:42, 3 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Probably, the next available occasion for honours would have been the Queen's Birthday Honours, which wouldn't have been until June, which was the pattern followed with Ian Freeland, Erskine-Crums predecessor in the post as GOC NI. David Underdown (talk) 08:22, 3 September 2008 (UTC)