Edward Quinan

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Sir Edward Pellew Quinan
Second World War
Mentioned in Despatches

First World War he served with the Indian Army forces in France and Mesopotamia, and was wounded. During the Second World War, Quinan commanded the British and Indian Army forces in the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Syria–Lebanon campaign, and the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran
. He continued serving in the Middle East until 1943, when he returned to India to command the North West Army, but retired later the same year due to a downgrading of his fitness status.

Early years and career in Indian Army

Quinan was of

Calcutta on 9 January 1885; his father died when he was ten years old. Although his mother later remarried, he was brought up and educated in Dublin by his grandparents and aunts, until he entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
, in 1903.

Commissioned a second lieutenant on 9 January 1904,

North West Frontier of the British Indian Empire and was promoted to captain on 9 January 1913.[5] During the war he fought in France and Mesopotamia, and was appointed a provost marshal on 7 March 1915.[6] He served at the battles of Neuve Chapelle, Loos and the attempt to relieve Kut al Amara; he was wounded at Beit Aisa. Appointed a GSO 3rd Grade on 10 May 1917,[7] he was brevetted to major on 1 January 1918[8] and promoted to acting major on 2 November.[9]

He returned to India and the Frontier and was a staff officer in the 1919

Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his staff work during this campaign. In 1920, he attended Indian Army Staff College in Quetta which is now in Pakistan and served as DAQMG Meerut from 1923 to 1926. After attending the Senior Officers' School, Belgaum in 1927, he was posted to 3rd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment
(now 3 Baloch) in 1928.

In 1930, he rose to the command of 3rd Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment and was selected to attend the

Gypsy Moth
repaired.

As a colonel in 1933, he was appointed an instructor at the Staff College in Quetta. Among his immediate predecessors at the college was

Montgomery
. He then returned to Jhansi as a brigadier to command the 9th (Jhansi) Brigade.

In 1936, during the short reign of

major-general at the end of 1937[14] but in March 1938 he was forced to take sick leave due to high blood pressure and convalesced in Osborne House before being declared fit again for active service in July 1938[15][16] to take up command of the Western Independent District.[17]

Second World War service in the Middle East

Generals Wavell and Quinan (left) meet in the Middle East

Quinan spent the early years of the Second World War on the North West Frontier but in March 1941, he was promoted to lieutenant-general,[18] consulted General Sir Archibald Wavell in Cairo and was sent to command the Indian Army Corps in the landing at Basra, Iraq, and was appointed GOC British Troops in Iraq (Iraqforce).

At that time, the pro-German government of Iraq led by

Free French one. This was completed successfully. Later in 1941, he planned and executed the invasion of Persia. The principal reason for this was to secure the supply lines to the Soviet Union
and to protect British oil installations in Abadan.
Shah of Iran, was considered to be pro-German so he was deposed and replaced by his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
.

Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire[20] and in August 1942, he was promoted to be a full general.[21]

The German threat receded following their defeat at

CIGS, General Sir Alan Brooke wrote on 4 August 1942, while working on reorganizing the Middle East and Persia and Iraq Commands, "Quinan unsuitable for 10th Army to be replaced..."[22]

However, it was not until April 1943 that Quinan left the Middle East and was appointed GOC-in-C

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.[25] He retired to Barrington, Somerset
, and died on 13 November 1960.

Assessment

Quinan's renowned attention to detail was noted in his Times obituary which recorded that he "astonished, and sometimes appalled his subordinates by his meticulous attention to the duties of the smallest units under his command".[26]

References

  1. ^ Coventry Evening Telegraph, "'Terror' Quinan Dies", 15 November 1960
  2. ^ "No. 27634". The London Gazette. 8 January 1904. p. 182.
  3. ^ "No. 27813". The London Gazette. 4 July 1905. p. 4635.
  4. ^ "No. 27924". The London Gazette. 22 June 1906. p. 4308.
  5. ^ "No. 28689". The London Gazette. 11 February 1913. p. 1061.
  6. ^ "No. 29266". The London Gazette. 17 March 1915. p. 8161.
  7. ^ "No. 31271". The London Gazette. 4 April 1919. p. 4433.
  8. ^ "No. 30720". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1918. p. 6512.
  9. ^ "No. 31416". The London Gazette. 24 June 1919. p. 7951.
  10. ^ "No. 34290". The London Gazette. 2 June 1936. p. 3522.
  11. ^ "No. 34296". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 June 1936. p. 3998.
  12. ^ "No. 34520". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1938. pp. 3820–3821.
  13. ^ "No. 34542". The London Gazette. 16 August 1938. p. 5286.
  14. ^ "No. 34465". The London Gazette. 21 December 1937. p. 7998.
  15. ^ "No. 34500". The London Gazette. 8 April 1938. p. 2334.
  16. ^ "No. 34547". The London Gazette. 2 September 1938. p. 5610.
  17. ^ Mead, p. 368
  18. ^ "No. 35144". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 April 1941. p. 2348.
  19. ^ a b c Mead, p. 371.
  20. ^ "No. 35586". The London Gazette. 11 June 1942. p. 2480.
  21. ^ "No. 35730". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 October 1942. p. 4335.
  22. ISBN 1-84212-526-5
  23. ^ "No. 36255". The London Gazette. 19 November 1943. p. 5090.
  24. ^ "No. 37406". The London Gazette. 6 December 1945. p. 6290.
  25. ^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 1 January 1946. p. 5.
  26. ^ "Obituary. Gen. Sir Edward Quinan". The Times (15 November 1960): 15. Retrieved 6 May 2013.

Bibliography

  • Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: A biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II. Stroud (UK): Spellmount.
    ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0
    .

External links
Military offices
Preceded by GOC-in-C, North Western Army, India
May 1943 – August 1943 		Succeeded by
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