List_of_commanders_of_the_British_4th_Division

List of commanders of the British 4th Division

List of commanders of the British 4th Division

Military unit


The 4th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which was first formed in 1809 and disbanded for the final time in 2012. The division was commanded by a general officer commanding (GOC). In this role, the GOC received orders from a level above him in the chain of command, and then used the forces within the division to undertake the mission assigned. In addition to directing the tactical battle in which the division was involved, the GOC oversaw a staff and the administrative, logistical, medical, training, and discipline of the division.[1] The division had 63 different permanent GOCs over its history that spanned 203 years

Quick Facts 4th Division4th Infantry Division 4th Armoured Division, Active ...

Prior to 1809, the British Army did not use divisional formations. As the British military grew in size during the Napoleonic Wars, the need arose for such an implementation in order to better organise forces for administrative, logistical, and tactical reasons. The 4th Division was formed on 18 June 1809 by Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, and served in the Peninsular War (part of the Napoleonic Wars).[1] During this period, three of the division's commanding officers were wounded. Major-General Galbraith Lowry Cole was wounded on two separate occasions, while leading the division.[2] After the Peninsular War ended in 1814, the division was disbanded only to be re-raised the following year when the War of the Seventh Coalition broke out. It then fought at the Battle of Waterloo, and was disbanded the same year when the Napoleonic Wars concluded.[3]

It was next raised for service in the Crimean War (1853–1856). During the Battle of Inkerman (5 November 1854), the division had four different commanding officers, with two killed in action. Following the end of the war, in 1856, the division was disbanded.[4] Forty-three years later, in 1899, the division was reformed to take part in the Second Boer War. Lieutenant-General William Penn Symons, who initially led the division, was wounded in action and subsequently taken prisoner. When the need for divisions subsided, the following year, the division was broken-up to provide garrisons for various static locations.[5]

In 1902, a new 4th Division was formed as a permanent standing formation and not for a particular crisis. During the 20th century, the division fought in the First and Second World Wars. Major-General Louis Lipsett, the division's penultimate commander during the First World War, was killed in action shortly before the war ended in November 1918.[6] In the post-Second World War years, it formed part of the British Army of the Rhine in Germany. During the 1960s, Major-General Jean Allard became the first Canadian to command a British Army division when he was appointed to lead the 4th.[7][8] In 1978, the infantry division was transformed into an armoured formation.[7] It maintained this role until the division was disbanded in 1993, when the British Army was downsized following the end of the Cold War. It was re-raised in 1995 as an administrative formation and maintained this role until 2012, when it was disbanded for the final time.[9]

General officer commanding

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Notes

  1. Haythornthwaite 2016, The Divisional System.
  2. Reid 2004, pp. 52–55.
  3. Weller 2010, p. 34; Siborne 1900, pp. 735; Ross-of-Bladensburg 1896, pp. 49–50.
  4. Barthorp 1980, p. 155; McGuigan 2001, pp. 8, 29, 67; Demchak 2011, p. 127.
  5. Creswicke 1900, pp. 15–20, 35, Chart of Staff Appointments Made at the Commencement of the War; Creswicke 1901, p. 138; Dunlop 1938, p. 74.
  6. Becke 1935, p. 57.
  7. "General Allard To Return To Canada". The Times. No. 55793. 30 August 1963.
  8. Tanner 2014, pp. 13–14.
  9. Reid 2004, p. 52.
  10. Reid 2004, pp. 54–55.
  11. Reid 2004, p. 55.
  12. Reid 2004, p. 56; Oman 1930, p. 513.
  13. Barthorp 1980, p. 155; McGuigan 2001, pp. 8, 29.
  14. "No. 21584". The London Gazette. 18 August 1854. p. 2566.
  15. McGuigan 2001, pp. 26, 29.
  16. "No. 21738". The London Gazette. 2 July 1855. p. 2543.
  17. McGuigan 2001, p. 67; Demchak 2011, p. 127.
  18. "No. 21793". The London Gazette. 5 October 1855. p. 3683.
  19. Creswicke 1900, pp. 15–20, 35, Chart of Staff Appointments Made at the Commencement of the War; Dunlop 1938, p. 74.
  20. "No. 27129". The London Gazette. 24 October 1899. p. 6387.
  21. Creswicke 1900, pp. 17, 33.
  22. Creswicke 1901, p. 138; Hare 1929, p. 281.
  23. "No. 27193". The London Gazette. 18 May 1900. p. 3148.
  24. Dunlop 1938, p. 219.
  25. "War Office, Monthly Army List, July 1903". London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. July 1903. p. 8. and "No. 27515". The London Gazette. 13 January 1903. p. 237.
  26. "No. 27920". The London Gazette. 8 June 1906. p. 4001.
  27. "War Office, Monthly Army List, March 1907". London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. March 1907. p. 18a., and "War Office, Monthly Army List, May 1907". London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. May 1907. p. 18a.
  28. "No. 27920". The London Gazette. 8 June 1906. p. 4001.
  29. "War Office, Monthly Army List, March 1907". London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. March 1907. p. 18a., and "No. 28024". The London Gazette. 24 May 1907. p. 3593.
  30. "No. 28024". The London Gazette. 24 May 1907. p. 3593. and "No. 28496". The London Gazette. 19 May 1911. p. 3818.
  31. "No. 28496". The London Gazette. 19 May 1911. p. 3818.
  32. Becke 1935, pp. 57, 62.
  33. Becke 1935, pp. 57, 63.
  34. "No. 31643". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 November 1919. p. 13875. and "No. 32878". The London Gazette. 9 November 1923. p. 7659.
  35. "War Office, Monthly Army List, December 1920". London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1920. p. 33.
  36. "No. 32878". The London Gazette. 9 November 1923. p. 7659. and "No. 33149". The London Gazette. 9 April 1926. p. 2469.
  37. "No. 33149". The London Gazette. 9 April 1926. p. 2469. and "No. 33320". The London Gazette. 14 October 1927. p. 6470.
  38. "No. 33320". The London Gazette. 14 October 1927. p. 6470. and "No. 33320". The London Gazette. 5 June 1931. p. 33723.
  39. "No. 33723". The London Gazette. 5 June 1931. p. 3654. and "No. 33962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 1933. p. 4886.
  40. "No. 33964". The London Gazette. 28 July 1933. p. 5045., "No. 34114". The London Gazette. 14 December 1934. p. 8124., "No. 34144". The London Gazette. 22 March 1935. p. 1981., and "No. 34165". The London Gazette. 31 May 1935. p. 3519.
  41. "No. 34168". The London Gazette. 7 June 1935. p. 3708.
  42. "No. 34226". The London Gazette. 3 December 1935. p. 7671. and "No. 34482". The London Gazette. 15 February 1938. p. 969.
  43. "No. 34482". The London Gazette. 15 February 1938. p. 969.
  44. "No. 34472". The London Gazette. 11 January 1938. p. 192.
  45. Joslen 2003, pp. 45–46.
  46. "No. 37746". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 1946. p. 4933.
  47. "Obituary: Lieut-General Sir Ernest Down". The Times. No. 60557. 22 February 1980. p. 16.
  48. "No. 40727". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 March 1956. p. 1427. and "No. 41326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1958. p. 1429.
  49. "No. 41326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1958. p. 1429. and "No. 41839". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 1959. p. 6415.
  50. "No. 41839". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 1959. p. 6415. and "No. 42508". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1961. p. 8089.
  51. "No. 42508". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1961. p. 8089. and "No. 43130". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1963. p. 8421.
  52. "No. 43130". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1963. p. 8421. and "No. 43788". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 October 1965. p. 9553.
  53. "No. 43788". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 October 1965. p. 9553. and "No. 44430". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1967. p. 11261.
  54. "No. 44430". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1967. p. 11261. and "No. 44955". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1969. p. 10469.
  55. "No. 44955". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1969. p. 10469. and "No. 45493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1971. p. 10969.
  56. "No. 45493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 October 1971. p. 10969. and "No. 46103". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 October 1973. p. 12242.
  57. "No. 46103". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 October 1973. p. 12242. and "No. 46692". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 September 1975. p. 11931.
  58. "No. 46692". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 September 1975. p. 11931. and "No. 47346". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1977. p. 12783.
  59. "No. 47346". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1977. p. 12783. and "No. 47925". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 August 1979. p. 10350.
  60. "No. 47925". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 August 1979. p. 10350. and "No. 48803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 November 1981. p. 14920.
  61. "No. 48803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 November 1981. p. 14920. and "No. 49552". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1983. p. 15767.
  62. "No. 49552". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1983. p. 15767.
  63. "Latest appointments". The Times. No. 62236. 6 September 1985.
  64. "No. 51136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 1987. p. 14774.
  65. "No. 51136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 1987. p. 14774. and "No. 51969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1989. p. 14616.
  66. "No. 51969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1989. p. 14616. and "No. 52732". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 December 1991. p. 18536.
  67. "No. 52732". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 December 1991. p. 18536.
  68. "4th Division". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  69. The Army List. London: HMSO. 1995. p. 56.
  70. "No. 54360". The London Gazette. 1 April 1996. p. 4793.
  71. "No. 56104". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 January 2001. p. 1159.
  72. "No. 56524". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 April 2002. p. 3964.
  73. "No. 56818". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 January 2003. p. 413.
  74. "No. 57297". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 May 2004. p. 6504.
  75. "No. 58125". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 October 2006. p. 14169.
  76. "No. 58885". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 November 2008. p. 17876.

References


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