JOHN WATERFIELD

Diplomat who helped to set up the Northern Ireland Office JOHN WATERFIELD's career of public service culminated in a key role in set - tin g up the Northern Ireland Office, of which he was the principal establishment and finance officer from 1973 to 1979. This made him responsible for all aspects of the administration of a new govern - ment department , including the recruit - m ent of staff, while shuttling continually between offices in Whitehall and Belfast John Percival Waterfield was born in 1921, the son of Sir Percival Waterfield, later the first Civil Service Commission - er . They were direct descendants of the astronomer William Herschel. Water - field was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford; Charterhouse, where he was a scholar; and Christ Church, Oxford (again as a scholar). He served throughout the war with The King's Roya ! Rifle Corps (60th Ri - fles ), commanding a platoon of Brengun carriers and machineguns at El Alamein

and across the Western Desert to Tuni - sia . Here he led a notable patrol at the Wadi Akarit, which contributed substan - tially to the success of the Indian Division 's night attack on April 6,1943. Following the victory in North Africa, Waterfield moved with his battalion to It - al y for the long slog north, during which he became captain and adjutant before the severe battles for the Gothic Line. He commanded the Headquarters Company for the final campaign in northeastern It - al y and the advance into Austria after the German surrender. He was demobi - lised in 1945, having been mentioned in dispatches . In the summer of 1946 he entered the Diplomatic Service and joined the North - ern Department of the Foreign Office. Posts in Moscow and Tokyo , Santiago as First Secretary and New York as Com - mercial Consul followed. In 1964 he was appointed Ambassador to the Mali Republic and , simultaneously...