Officers of the British Army 1939-1945 -- A

British Army Officers
1939-1945

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Aaron, C.
to
Abbott, J.P.F.

Abbott, J.R.
to
Abel, W.K.J.

Abel Smith, A.
to
Abulafia, A.

Acarnley, C.E.
to
Aitken, W.H.H.

Aizlewood, J.A.
to
Anstice, J.H.

Arbuthnot, A.R.C.
to
Arbuthnott, R.K.

Archdale, A.
to
Azzopardi, M.F.

A. Archdale to M.F. Azzopardi

Archdale,
Alfred
A. Archdale

10.08.1910
-
1990 still alive

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	28.08.1930 [47503]
Lt.	28.08.1933
Capt.	28.08.1938
A/Maj.	23.01.1941-22.04.1941
T/Maj.	23.04.1941-13.04.1945
WS/Maj.	14.04.1945
Maj.	01.07.1946
A/Lt.Col.	14.01.1945-13.04.1945
T/Lt.Col.	14.04.1945-14.01.1946 09.05.1949-30.05.1952
Lt.Col.	31.05.1952 (supernumerary 31.05.1955) (retd 13.10.1958)

Education: Royal Military Academy

28.08.1930			commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
?			?
01.06.1946	-	02.09.1947	Instructor
03.03.1949	-	08.05.1949	Instructor in Gunnery, Western Command
09.05.1949	-	07.08.1952	Senior Instructor (HAA), Western Command
?	-	31.05.1955	Regimental Lieutenant-Colonel
12.09.1955	-	(02.1957)	MCO & ME Officer (Class 1), P & E Establishment Shoeburyness
13.10.1958	-	10.08.1965	Regular Army Reserve of Officers (age limit)

Archdale,
Arthur Joseph
A.J. Archdale

18.11.1923
-
19.03.1999

2nd Lt.	08.05.1943 [273778]
WS/Lt.	08.11.1943

08.05.1943

(04.1946)

commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery [emergency commission] (Africa, Italy and Palestine)

Headmaster of York House School, (Preparatory School), Rickmansworth 1963-84. MCC member. CoE. PCC member and sometime Churchwarden Brockenhurst Parish Council.

Archdale,
Arthur Somerville
A.S. Archdale

Son of late F. Archdale, Baldock, Herts; married 1907, Mildred Barbara Funnell.

08.09.1882
Baldock, Herts.
-
30.03.1948
Camberley, Surrey

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	21.12.1901 [6906]
Lt.	21.12.1904
Capt.	1914
Maj.	14.02.1916
Lt.Col.	31.01.1931 (half-pay 31.01.1935)
Col.	31.01.1935
T/Brig.	24.11.1937 (retd 09.09.1939)
Hon. Brig.	09.09.1939 (re-granted 12.02.1942)

	DSO	04.06.1917	?
	CdeG	17.12.1917	?

Education: Repton; Royal Military Academy; Staff College, Camberley (psc)

21.12.1901			commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
02.02.1909	-	02.02.1913	an Officer of a Company of Gentlemen Cadets (Class B.) [31.01.1912 augmented to Class A], Royal Military Academy (seconded for service on the Staff) (restored to the establishment)
			served European War, 1914-1918 (despatches four times, DSO, Croix de Guerre)
06.05.1915	-	?	Adjutant, North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade
20.02.1917	-	14.06.1918	Brigade Major, ...
14.06.1918		?	General Staff Officer, 2nd grade (GSO2), General Staff
12.02.1919	-	09.11.1919	Brigade Major, ... (restored to the establishment)
?	-	22.12.1920	... (restored to the establishment)
10.04.1922	-	16.05.1923	Staff Officer RA, Western Command (restored to the establishment [13.07.1923 notification cancelled])
?	-	01.08.1924	Brigade Major, ...
01.08.1924	-	21.05.1927	General Staff Officer, 2nd grade (GSO2), ...
1931	-	31.01.1935	Commander, 9th Field Brigade RA (Bulford)
			Regular Army Reserve of Officers (Royal Artillery)
01.10.1935	-	(11.)1939	Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA), 42nd (East Lancs) Division, TA
(11?.)1939	-	23.05.1942	Regular Army Reserve of Officers (Royal Artillery) (reverted to retired list 12.02.1942) (ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers (age limit) 23.05.1942)

Played cricket for the Army (1st class, 1920-1921).

Archdale,
Audley Montgomery
A.M. Archdale

Son of Col. Osmund Audley Archdale and Emily Vita Thorneycroft. Married (29.06.1960, Kloosterzande, Netherlands) Anna Adolphine Henriette barones Collot d'Escury (born 02.08.1937), daughter of Hendrik Adolf André baron Collot d'Escury; no children.

23.08.1920
Blue Room, Plean House, Bannockburn, Stirlingshire
-

[Edinburgh]

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	21.12.1940 [165039]
WS/Lt.	21.06.1942
Hon. Capt.	01.01.1949

?	-	21.12.1940	168th Officer Cadet Training Unit
21.12.1940	-	(04.1946)	commissioned into the Scots Guards [emergency commission]
01.01.1949	-		Scots Guards - Regular Army Reserve of Officers

Archdale,
Audley Quintin
A.Q. Archdale (Photo courtesy of Mr Peter Archdale.)

3rd son of Edward Mervyn Archdale, 1st Bt., and Alicia Bland Fleming and brother of Nicholas Edward and Humphrys Archdale (both RN). Married Mary Edith Haigh Bury, daughter of Oliver Bury, on 22 March 1922; three daughters.

03.04.1886
-
1978

2nd Lt.	20.12.1906
Lt.	20.12.1909
Capt.	30.10.1914
A/Maj.	18.05.1917, seniority 26.01.1917
Maj.	?, seniority 08.04.1917
Brev. Lt.Col.	01.01.1933
Lt.Col.	01.04.1935 (half pay 01.04.1939) (retd 01.10.1939)

MID

16.03.1919

for gallant and distinguished services in the field

Education: Winchester College; Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (1905-1906)

20.12.1906			commissioned into the Royal Horse & Royal Field Artillery
			51st Battery Royal Field Artillery at Shorncliffe, part of 39th Bde RFA
1909			Piershill Barracks, Edinburgh
1913			sailed with his Regiment from Southampton 21 Nov 1913 on the MHT Dongola, arriving in Karachi, India 13 Dec 1913; wounded 1916
(12.1916)			M Battery Royal Regiment of Artillery (Risalpur, India)
08.1917			ordered back to England after four years service overseas
1918	-	1919	16th Brigade RHA (Germany)
1921			part of the Inter-Allied Commission of Control
31.10.1921	-	01.04.1922	Brigade Major, Divisional RA, 53rd Welsh Division (seconded for service on the Staff with the TA) (01.04.1922 restored to the establishment)
13.11.1922	-	27.09.1924	Adjutant, 81st (Welsh) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (seconded for service with the TA)
01.01.1925			restored to the establishment
23.06.1927	-	1929?	Major Instructor in Gunnery (Artillery), School of Artillery (seconded) (01.01.1929 restored to the establishment)
(03.1931)			1st Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (UK)
(06.1933)			1st Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (Egypt)
1935?	-	01.04.1939	Regimental Lt-Col of Royal Regiment of Artillery (Field Branch):
(01.1937)	-	(01.1939)	2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Bulford)
01.10.1939	-	13.01.1945	Regular Army Reserve of Officers (Royal Regiment of Artillery, Class II) (released because of age limit)
1939?	-	1945?	Commanding Officer, Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU), Wrotham

Archdale,
Charles Lindsell
C.L. Archdale

06.09.1904
-

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	30.08.1924 [31252]
Lt.	30.08.1926
Capt.	04.04.1935
A/Maj.	22.05.1940-20.06.1940 13.07.1940-19.07.1940
Maj.	14.09.1941, seniority 30.08.1941
Lt.Col.	30.03.1946 (retd 29.04.1955)
A/Col.	05.02.1945

	MID	20.12.1940	?
	TD	26.01.1968	?

Education: Royal Military College

30.08.1924			commissioned into The Manchester Regiment
?			?
?	-	30.03.1949	Commanding Officer, ...
?	-	01.09.1969	served Army Cadet Force (Norfolk), Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve as a Lieutenant (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel)

Archdale,
E H M
E.H.M. Archdale

?
-

2nd Lt.	14.03.1943
WS/Lt.	14.03.1943

14.03.1943			commissioned into the Pioneer Corps [emergency commission]
?	-	(04.1946)	transferred to the Indian Army

Archdale,
Fulbert Audley
F.A. Archdale

Married M. Archdale; at least one son (Lt. Michael Mervyn Lyon Archdale). From Southbourne, Hants.

08.08.1890
-
16.07.1953

Lt.	?
A/Capt.	09.04.1918
Capt.	05.03.1919
Lt.	22.05.1940 [131209]
T/Capt.	22.08.1940
WS/Capt.	19.06.1942
T/Maj.	12.10.1942
WS/Maj.	16.01.1945 (reld 1945/46)
A/Lt.Col.	?
Hon. Lt.Col.	1945/46?

	MBE	23.03.1944	Sicily
	MID	WW I	?

1906			joined HMS Worcester
			attended a Merchant Navy Training School and was apprenticed on barque Inverlyon in which he circumnavigated the world three times by sail; joined Hoogli Pilot Service, Calcutta in 1911
			served World War I with 130th Baluchis (despatches)
?	-	01.05.1922	Indian Army Reserve of Officers:
09.04.1918	-	?	Company Commander
1924	-	1929	Commanded the Karachi Corps Auxiliary Force
26.03.1934			Consul of Greece at Karachi
1939			joined Movement Control
22.05.1940			commissioned onto the General List [emergency commission]
(04.1941)			specially employed
03.08.1941			transferred to the Pioneer Corps

Published: Elementary radiesthesia and the use of the pendulum (1950)

Archdale,
Geoffrey Arthur Frederick
G.A.F. Archdale

18.11.1908
-

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	30.08.1928 [40350] (half-pay 30.03.1930; ill-health) (restored 13.12.1930)
Lt.	30.08.1931
Capt.	01.08.1938
A/Maj.	21.05.1940-20.08.1940
T/Maj.	21.08.1940-29.08.1945
Maj.	30.08.1945
A/Lt.Col.	30.05.1940-12.07.1940
Lt.Col.	01.04.1951 01.02.1952, seniority 01.03.1951 (retd 01.04.1953; disability)

Education: Royal Military Academy

30.08.1928			commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
17.11.1939	-	29.05.1940	Adjutant, ...

Archdale,
Michael Mervyn Lyon
M.M.L. Archdale

Son of Lt.-Col. Fulbert Audley Archdale and Mrs. M. Archdale, of Southbourne, Bournemouth, Hampshire.

06.03.1921
-
25.06.1944
(MIA) [age 23]
[Bayeux Memorial, panel 17, column 3]

2nd Lt.	19.11.1939 [105616]
WS/Lt.	19.05.1941

19.11.1939			commissioned into The Royal Ulster Rifles [emergency commission]
?	-	25.06.1944	1st (Airborne) Battalion, The Royal Ulster Rifles [6th Airborne Division] (missing in action while on patrol, Normandy)

'Archdale Close' in Bournemouth named after him in the 1960's/70's as part of a programme of commemoration of those killed in WWII.

Archdale,
Nicholas Montgomery
N.M. Archdale

Son of Maj. Richard Montgomery Archdale and Phyllis Katheren Wake. Married (10.11.1953) Patricia Thomas, daughter of Herbert William Thomas.

05.02.1924
Rhodesia
-

2nd Lt.	22.05.1943 [277406]
WS/Lt.	22.11.1943
T/Capt.	(1945/46?)

MID

04.04.1946

NW Europe

22.05.1943			commissioned into The King's Royal Rifle Corps [emergency commission]
25.08.1943	-	(04.1946)	transferred to the Parachute Regiment (served in the 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, part of 6th Airborne Division)

High Sheriff for Clwyd, Wales, 1991.

Archdale,
Osmund Audley
"Om"
O.A. Archdale

Second son of George Montgomery Archdale (who served in the French Army during WW1 and received the CdeG) and Lucy Glynn. Brother of Maj. Richard Montgomery Archadale, and Capt. Patrick Mervyn Archdale RN. Married (14.06.1919, St. Paul's, Knightsbirdge, London) Emily Vita Thorneycroft (died 1989), daughter of Wallace Thorneycroft; one son (Audley Montgomery Archdale), two daughters.

14.06.1895
Osmington, Dorset
-
10.09.1968
Dorchester, Dorset

2nd Lt.	12.08.1914 [9695] (retd 1918; invalided)
Lt.	? (half-pay 23.07.1916; ill-health) (restored to the establishment 17.03.1917)
Capt.	07.03.1917, seniority 01.01.1917 (half-pay 13.12.1919; ill-health caused by wounds) (retd 13.12.1924)
Capt.	24.08.1939
T/Maj.	14.07.1940
WS/Maj.	15.07.1941
T/Lt.Col.	15.07.1941
WS/Lt.Col.	? (retd 07.08.1946; age limit)
Hon. Col.	07.08.1946 ?, seniority 14.08.1945

MBE	11.07.1940	?
MID	02.08.1945	NW Europe
LegH	1945	?
CdeG	1945	?

Education: Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (Under Officer, Sword of Honour)

12.08.1914		commissioned into the Rifle Brigade
WW I		seriously wounded in the hip and spent 2 years in hospital recovering, though he limped for the rest of his life
01.01.1918		graded for purposes of pay as Staff Lieutenant 1st Class
16.04.1918	-	ADC to General Sir Hugh Ellis, Royal Tank Corps (seconded)
		stockbroker with Williams de Broë and opened their Paris office in 1920; He moved to London as a partner in the firm in 1938 with his family
24.08.1939		mobilized Intelligence Corps - Regular Army Reserve of Officers
		joined the Mission of Maj.Gen. Edward L. Spears, which consisted of 12 nominated persons to liaise with the French Army and later became the nominated messenger betweeen Churchill and De Gaulle
05.07.1940		specially employed

Stockbroker.

Archdale,
Richard Montgomery
R.M. Archdale

Eldest son of George Montgomery Archdale (who served in the French Army during WW1 and received the CdeG) and Lucy Glynn. Brother of Col. Osmund Audley Archdale, and Capt. Patrick Mervyn Archdale RN. Married (23.04.1919, Courteenhall, Northants) Phyllis Katheren Wake, daughter of Sir Hereward Wake, 12th Bt.; one son (Capt. Nicholas Montgomery Archdale), one daughter, one son (Nicholas Montgomery Archdale).

29.12.1892
-
15.12.1965

T/2nd Lt.	(1916) [108031]
T/Lt.	13.05.1918, seniority 01.07.1917 (reld 09.09.1919; retains the rank of Lt.)
T/Capt.	20.04.1916
Lt.	04.12.1939
T/Capt.	16.03.1940
WS/Capt.	03.05.1942
T/Maj.	03.05.1942

MBE	21.06.1945	Mediterranean Theatre
MC	18.01.1918	*
	?	Greek Military Medal of Merit

* For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. His platoon held the most intricate portion of the line, and suffered many casualties. He personally reconnoitred and fixed the exact situation of a most dangerous and active hostile strong point, and though wounded, refused to leave his platoon, remaining in command of it till the battalion was relieved. He undertook the personal supervision of the relief, the successful completion of which was due to his courageous efforts. [According to his nephew Audley Montgomery Archdale, his MC was for storming a German machine-gun post on a horse and killing them all.]

WW I			19th Hussars (Military Cross):
20.04.1916	-	?	Staff Captain
04.12.1939	-	(04.1946)	2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars - Territorial Army [emergency commission]
04.12.1939	-	?	Intelligence Officer, HQ 22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade (posted)

Archdale,
Ronald John
R.J. Archdale

11.06.1917
-
1990 still alive
[Breccles Hall. Attleborough, Norfolk]

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	28.01.1937 [71026]
Lt.	28.01.1940
A/Capt.	11.07.1940-10.10.1940
T/Capt.	11.10.1940-31.08.1941
WS/Capt.	01.09.1941
Capt.	28.01.1945
A/Maj.	01.06.141-31.08.1941
T/Maj.	01.09.1941-08.01.1946 13.02.1948-27.01.1950
Maj.	28.01.1950 (retd 26.06.1958)

MID

12.09.1946

while POW

Education: Royal Military Academy; Staff College, Camberley

28.01.1937			commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
?			? (POW)

Archdale,
William Martin
W.M. Archdale

20.01.1912
-
1990 still alive

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	28.01.1932 [50969]
Lt.	28.01.1935
Capt.	28.01.1940
A/Maj.	12.06.1943-11.09.1943
T/Maj.	12.09.1943-30.06.1946
Maj.	01.07.1946 (retd 07.07.1957)

MID

23.05.1946

Education: Royal Military College

28.01.1932			commissioned into The Manchester Regiment
20.04.1939	-	21.09.1939	Adjutant, ... (TA) (temporary)
07.07.1957	-	20.01.1962	Regular Army Reserve of Officers (Kings) (age limit)

Archer,
Bertram Stuart Trevelyan
B.S.T. Archer

Son of Bertram George Reine Archer (who was an electrical engineer and owned his own business), and Francis Maud Archer (nee Hatfield). Archer married Kathleen Matilda Hatt (known as Kit) in 1939, they have one son, Ian Stuart Trevelyan Archer, ARIBA, AADip,(Hons), and two daughters, Deidre Marjorie Strowger and Melanie Patricia Archer.

03.02.1915
Hamstead, London
-

2nd Lt.	30.03.1940 [126305]
A/Lt.	?
WS/Capt.	10.11.1943
T/Maj.	10.08.1943
Hon. Maj.	? (retd)

OBE	10.06.1961
GC	30.09.1941	most conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner *
TD	20.03.1947	?
ERD		Army Emergency Reserve Decorations & 2 bars

* Lieutenant Archer had been employed on bomb disposal since June 1940 and had dealt with over 200 bombs. He had enjoyed unbelievable immunity from death and shown sustained nerve and courage of the highest order. On 2nd September 1940 he was called out with his section to deal with a whole stick of unexploded bombs which had fallen in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's refinery at Llandarcy, near Swansea. Several tanks of oil were on fire, which added greatly to the danger and difficulty of the work. Whilst tackling the most dangerous of the bombs two of the others exploded and it was obvious that the one on which they were working might do likewise at any moment. They continued working on it, however, for several hours until Lieutenant Archer had removed the fuse and rendered the bomb harmless.

07.1936			qualified as an ARIBA at the youngest age permitted as an Architect, at 21
1936	-	1995	worked in Grays Inn, with Ingram Son and Archer (Archer name added to firm after BSTA qualified). Archer continued working with this partnership all his working life apart from the time he spent in the Army
			served with the Honourable Artillery Company
30.03.1940			commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers
1940	-		CO No. 104 Bomb Disposal Section deployed in South Wales
			served on in bomb disposal units
10.08.1943	-	(04.1944)	Staff Officer Royal Engineers, Southern Command
	-	1945	CO No. 12 Bomb Disposal Company, RE
1950			re-joined the Army Emergency Reserve and later served with 137th Bomb Disposal Regiment, RE (AER)
1953			CO No. 142 Bomb Disposal Regiment

Honorary Colonel Bomb Disposal Regiments, 1963. Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, 1970. Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977. Chairman of the VC and GC Association since August 1994.

Arkwright,
Robert Harry Bertram
R.H.B. Arkwright

Eldest son of Bertram Harry Godfrey Arkwright and Grace Emma Julia Hurt. Married (1927) Kathleen Gladys, daughter of late Major E.E. Hanbury, Scots Guards; one son, one daughter (and one son deceased).

30.07.1903
-
14.11.1971
[Poulton, Cirencester, Glos. ?]

2nd Lt.	31.01.1924 [28043]
local Maj.	01.05.1936-13.07.1936
T/Col.	06.03.1943-...
A/Brig.	06.09.1942-05.03.1943
T/Brig.	06.03.1943-...
Maj.Gen.	02.05.1947, seniority 21.12.1946 (rets 08.09.1951)

CB	26.01.1945	?
DSO	29.07.1943	?
DSO	13.01.1944	?

Education: Eton; Royal Military College, Sandhurst; psc

31.01.1924			commissioned into the 12th Royal Lancers
1934	-	1935	Staff College, Camberley
01.05.1936	-	13.07.1936	specially employed
27.10.1936	-	14.06.1939	Brigade Major, 1st Cavalry Brigade, Aldershot Command
06.1939	-	12.1939	GSO2, War Office
1940			Deputy Assistant Adjutant General (DAAG), 1st Armoured Division (France)
1940	-	1942	GSO1, 8th Armoured Division
1942	-	1943	Brigadier Armoured Fighting Vehicles, 8th Army
23.07.1943	-	1946	Commander, 23rd Armoured Brigade [till 8.1944 Independent Armoured Brigade Group; 8.1944-1.1945 Infantry Brigade Group, known as Force 140, from 2.9-19.10.1944 known as ARKFORCE; from 1.1945 Armoured Brigade Group] (Sicily, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Egypt, Greece) (DSO and Bar, CB) [except for 4.12.1944-8.1.1945 & 1-22.4.1945]
1946			Commander, 2nd Infantry Division
1947	-	1948	Director RAC, War Office
1948	-	1949	General Officer Commanding, 56th (London) Armoured Division TA
1949	-	1951	General Officer Commanding, 7th Armoured Division

Arnold,
Allan Cholmondeley
A.C. Arnold

Son of Lt-Col Arthur Seymour Arnold, late Indian Army, and Ruby Burnett. Married Dorothy Hamilton, only daughter of Arthur Webster-Wedderburn, Deputy Inspector-General Police, Jamaica; no children.

23.05.1893
-
29.01.1962
[Bayford, nr Wincanton, Somerset ?]

2nd Lt.	04.09.1912 [4934]
Lt.	11.08.1914
Capt.	07.12.1915
T/Maj.	14.12.1918-05.10.1919
Bt. Maj.	03.06.1919
Maj.	29.09.1930
Bt. Lt.Col.	01.07.1935
Col.	15.08.1939, seniority 01.07.1938 (retd 16.03.1946)
local Brig.	09.11.1939-06.11.1940
A/Brig.