Major-General Corran William Brooke Purdon CBE MC CPM (4 May 1921 – 27 June 2018) was an Irish-born career soldier in the British Army, who took part in the raid on St Nazaire as a commando for which he was awarded the Military Cross.

His father Major General William Purdon worked for the army as a medical officer and his mother Myrtle, from Belfast, was a homemaker.

[9][10] Following extensive training he was deployed with his unit as part of Operation Chariot on the raid on St Nazaire, for which he was awarded the Military Cross.

[11] After a year of imprisonment, on 26 March 1943, Purdon and a comrade, Lieutenant Richard (Dick) Fuller Morgan[12] escaped and were on the run for some days before recapture.

[13] Both were subsequently transferred (after being caught digging an escape tunnel)[1] to Colditz Castle where they remained until 16 April 1945, when liberated by American forces.

[16] In 1946, Purdon was appointed as commander, with the rank of major, of the Royal Ulster Rifles Company at the 25th Infantry Training Centre at St Lucia Barracks, Omagh, in Northern Ireland.

[20] In 1954, he attended Staff College, Camberley and following his tuition there was posted to GHQ Far East Land Forces based in Singapore.

The first task he set himself was to "rid the battalion" of around 30 men whom he considered to be a disruptive influence because of their aggressive behaviour and heavy drinking.

[25] During this time the battalion became the first in the British Army to be equipped with the FV432 tracked, armoured personnel carrier; trialing and training in familiarisation of that vehicle was extensive.

[26] In May 1963, the battalion was posted to Carter Camp (which was then in wooden huts) in Bulford, Wiltshire as part of the 51st Gurkha Brigade and converted from a mechanised unit to airportable.

[20] His tenure in this post was shortened when he received accelerated promotion to the rank of brigadier and appointed Commander, Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces and Director of Operations during the Dhofar Rebellion in 1967.

[2] Purdon was appointed Honorary Colonel of the London Irish Rifles after his retirement from official duties and later became President of their Regimental Association.

[28] Honorary appointments also included: After retiring he was also involved in the Royal Humane Society and was Commander of the Wiltshire Branch of St John Ambulance.

[1][30] Purdon died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes at his home in Devizes[29] in the early hours on 27 June 2018 at the age of 97 with his family at his side.