Morshead's studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the
First World War, in which he saw active service on the
Western Front and
Italian Front as a commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers. During the war he was awarded the
Military Cross, invested as a
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, awarded the Italian
War Merit Cross and was
Mentioned in Despatches five times. He subsequently returned to Cambridge where he read Modern Languages. Upon graduating he became librarian of the
Pepys Library. In 1926 he became Royal Librarian at
Windsor Castle and served in the position until 1958. During the
Second World War he commanded the 9th Battalion, Berkshire
Home Guard and from 1946 to 1958 was a Deputy
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. Morshead was appointed a
Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1933, a
Commander (CVO) in 1937, a
Knight Commander (KCVO) in 1944, and a
Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) upon his retirement in 1958. He was made a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1953.
George VI sent Morshead, accompanied by
Anthony Blunt, then working part-time in the
Royal Library as well as for British intelligence, to
Friedrichshof in March 1945 to secure papers relating to the
German Empress Victoria, the eldest child of
Queen Victoria. Looters had stolen part of the castle's archive, including surviving letters between daughter and mother, as well as other valuables, some of which were recovered in Chicago after the war. The papers rescued by Morshead and Blunt, and those returned by the American authorities from Chicago, were deposited in the
Royal Archives. From 1958 to 1971 he was given the honorary title of Emeritus Librarian by
Elizabeth II. ==Personal life==