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Norman Oliver Lash (1908–1960) was a British police officer seconded to the
Norman Oliver Lash (1908–1960) was a British police officer seconded to the Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
ian Arab Legion
The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of independent Jordan, with a final Arabization of its command taking place in 1 ...
. On 15 May 1948, Brigadier Norman Lash was handed the field command of the operations of the Arab Legion
The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of independent Jordan, with a final Arabization of its command taking place in 1 ...
in Palestine.
He appointed Abdullah el Tell to lead the offensive on Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
during the 1948 Palestine war, the war for which he was criticised by many British officials for being the field commander of an Arab army. A representative of the British chief of staff, described Glubb Pasha, and his two senior aides, Norman Lash and Ronald Broadhurst as "Soldiers of fortune of British nationality" during the 1948 war.
Ironically, he was also criticised by Arab officers, as being more of a politician than a military leader.
He negotiated the Jordanian-Israeli armistice agreement, that resulted in what came to be known as the green line.
Norman Lash reached the rank of Major General, and was retired from Jordan's Arab Legion
The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of independent Jordan, with a final Arabization of its command taking place in 1 ...
on 1 April 1951. He was replaced by Brigadier Sam Sidney Arthur Cooke of the Lincolnshire Regiment. According to Ma'an Abu Nawwar, an Arab officer in the Arab Legion
The Arab Legion () was the police force, then regular army of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate, in the early part of the 20th century, and then of independent Jordan, with a final Arabization of its command taking place in 1 ...
Norman Lash had less experience as a soldier, compared to his successor Cooke.
Honours
1943 - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) 1947 - Third Class of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance 1943 - Third Class of the Order of IndependenceReferences