Desmond Crawley

Who is Desmond Crawley?

Desmond John Chetwode Crawley, CMG CVO was a British diplomat, who served as administrator under the Raj to Commonwealth diplomat, from the Asian sub-continent to West Africa, and, finally, from behind the Iron Curtain to the Vatican.

He was educated at King's School, Ely and Queen's College, Oxford. He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1939 and served in the Madras Presidency. When India became independent in 1947 he entered the Commonwealth Relations Office in London. He served in Calcutta and Washington, and was Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations 1952-1953. Crawley was Deputy High Commissioner in Lahore, Pakistan, 1958–61; attended the Imperial Defence College in 1962; was British High Commissioner in Sierra Leone 1963–66 and Ambassador to Bulgaria 1966–70; and finally was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Holy See from 1970–75.

He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Gregory the Great in 1973.