Peter Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton

Admiral of the Fleet Peter John Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton (8 February 1915 – 16 May 2004) was a senior Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Second World War as gunnery officer in a cruiser operating on the Western Approaches and in the North Sea, including the Norwegian Campaign. Subsequently he served on a cruiser covering the Arctic convoys and finally on a battleship in the Eastern Fleet. After the war he commanded a destroyer and then an aircraft carrier. Hill-Norton served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff and then Chief of the Defence Staff in early 1970s. In the latter role he gave the final commitment to Project Chevaline, the Polaris missile improvement programme. He went on to be Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

Naval career Born the son of Captain Martin John Norton RFC and Margery Birnie Norton (née Hill), Peter John Norton (he changed his surname to Hill-Norton in 1931) was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1928 and, having been promoted to midshipman on 1 May 1932, was posted to the cruiser HMS London later that year. He transferred to the battleship HMS Rodney in September 1934 and, having been promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1935, he was posted to the battleship HMS Ramillies in August 1936. he attended the gunnery course at the shore establishment HMS Excellent in 1939. He then transferred to the cruiser which took part in the Arctic convoys. became gunnery officer in the battleship operating in the Eastern Fleet later that year. he was posted to Buenos Aires as naval attaché to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in September 1953 before commanding the destroyer during the Suez Crisis in 1956. He was given command of the aircraft carrier in October 1959, before being promoted to rear admiral on 8 January 1962 and being appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff in February 1962. He was made Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet in June 1964 during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and, having been promoted to vice admiral on 7 August 1965, he became Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel and Logistics) at the Ministry of Defence in 1966. Becoming Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in January 1967, it was in this capacity that he took the decision to abolish the Royal Navy's traditional daily rum ration. He went on to be Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1967 and, having been promoted to full admiral on 1 October 1968, he became Commander-in-Chief Far East Command in March 1969.

Hill-Norton was swiftly propelled into the post of First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in July 1970 and then, having been promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 12 March 1971, into the post of Chief of the Defence Staff in April 1971 following the unexpected early retirement of Sir Michael Le Fanu due to ill health. and took an active role at the House of Lords as a crossbencher. He was President of the Sea Cadet Association, Chairman of the Royal Navy Club of 1765 & 1785 (United 1889), a Liveryman of the Shipwrights' Company In later years he took an interest in UFOs, writing about them and expressing concern in Parliament about the potential destruction of files on them.

Hill-Norton's interests included gardening and shooting.