Francis Festing

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Royal Marines officer, see Francis Worgan Festing. For the RAF officer (Festing's father), see Francis Leycester Festing.

Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Order of the Cloud and Banner
(China)

Arakan offensive of the Burma campaign, and later advised the British government on ending conscription
and reducing the size of the army by fifteen battalions.

Early life and military career

Festing was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Brigadier General

Air Liaison Officer for Eastern Command on 1 February 1936[7] and, after attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1933 to 1934, and having been promoted to captain on 1 September 1936,[8] joined the staff at the War Office on 15 February 1938[9] before being promoted to major on 23 December 1938.[10] In February 1939 he returned to the Staff College, Camberley, this time to serve as an instructor, a post he held until December 1939, three months after the Second World War began.[1]

Second World War

Major General Festing and Major General Collin Jardine in North Burma, December 1944.

In the Second World War Festing was air liaison officer for the

Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment and then in April 1942 he became Commander of 29th Independent Infantry Brigade Group which was the landing force of Force 121 for Operation Ironclad, the seizure of Vichy French ports and airfields in the Indian Ocean, notably Diego Suárez,[11] Majunga and Tamatave[12] in Madagascar.[8] He was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his services in this campaign.[8]

Major General Francis Festing, Commander of the 36th Infantry Division, with Brigadier Aslett and men of the 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment during a break in the advance to Mandalay, January 1945.

In November 1942 Festing took command of the

Burma as part of the US led Northern Combat Area Command[13] before rejoining 14th Army. Festing had a reputation as a front line soldier as illustrated by one quote of an event on 29 October 1944:[14]

Myitkyina – To the growing Festing legend was added another dramatic chapter this week-end when Major General Francis Wogan Festing personally led the advance platoon of the 36th British Division into Mawlu. The leader of the platoon was killed, leaving the unit in charge of a sergeant. Festing, who is generally at the front, took over, and, probably the highest ranking officer ever to command a platoon, led it into Mawlu.

Major General F. W. Festing, GOC of the 36th Infantry Division (seated in centre of front row), with other senior officers at a briefing, January 1945.

Festing was

Burma. He was also awarded the Legion of Merit in the Degree of Commander by the President of the United States for his conduct throughout the war on 8 November 1945.[18]

Postwar career

Festing was appointed

Queen's Birthday Honours 1952.[4]

Promoted to

Queen's Birthday Honours 1957[27] and, having been appointed aide-de-camp general to the Queen on 26 June 1958,[28] he became Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 29 September 1958.[29] In this capacity he advised the British Government on ending conscription and reducing the size of the army by fifteen battalions.[21] Having been promoted to field marshal on 1 September 1960,[21] he retired on 1 November 1961.[30]

Festing was also Honorary Colonel of the 50th (Northumberland) Machine Gun Battalion of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers from 1 February 1948,[31] Colonel Commandant of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers from 12 March 1953,[32] Colonel Commandant of the 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade from 7 November 1958[33] and Colonel Commandant of the 3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets from 15 June 1968.[34]

In retirement Festing became a

firearms and Japanese swords. He was a practising Roman Catholic.[36] He died at his home at Tarset near Hexham in Northumberland on 3 August 1976.[36]

Family

In 1937, Festing married Mary Cecilia (née Riddell, elder daughter of Cuthbert David Giffard Riddell, of Swinburne Castle, Northumberland),[37] from an old recusant family.[8] The couple had four sons: Fra'

Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta),[38] John Festing (former High Sheriff of Northumberland),[39] Major Michael Festing and Andrew Festing (former President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters).[40]

References

  1. ^ a b Smart 2005, p. 101.
  2. ^ Note: Charlotte Katherine Grindall Festing was a second cousin of Francis Leycester Festing
  3. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29986. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  4. ^ a b c "Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing". British Military History Biographies. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b Heathcote, p. 118
  6. ^ "No. 32892". The London Gazette. 28 December 1923. p. 9109.
  7. ^ "No. 34256". The London Gazette. 18 February 1936. p. 1058.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Heathcote, p. 119
  9. ^ "No. 34489". The London Gazette. 4 March 1938. p. 1424.
  10. ^ "No. 34582". The London Gazette. 23 December 1938. p. 8179.
  11. ^ "No. 38225". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 March 1948. p. 1593.
  12. ^ "No. 37655". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 July 1946. p. 3717.
  13. ^ "No. 39195". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 April 1951. p. 1887.
  14. ^ Foster, Geoffrey, 36th Division – North Burma – 1944–45
  15. ^ "No. 37015". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 April 1945. p. 1810.
  16. ^ "No. 37161". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 July 1945. p. 3491.
  17. ^ "No. 37595". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1946. p. 2729.
  18. ^ "No. 37340". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 November 1945. p. 5460.
  19. ^ "No. 37701". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 August 1946. p. 4295.
  20. ^ "No. 38674". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 1949. p. 3639.
  21. ^ a b c d e f Heathcote, p. 120
  22. ^ "No. 39031". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 October 1950. p. 4907.
  23. ^ "No. 39206". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 April 1951. p. 2239.
  24. ^ "No. 39575". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1952. p. 3350.
  25. ^ "No. 39614". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 August 1952. p. 4179.
  26. ^ "No. 40223". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1954. p. 3949.
  27. ^ "No. 41089". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1957. p. 3369.
  28. ^ "No. 41426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 June 1958. p. 3991.
  29. ^ "No. 41508". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1958. p. 5954.
  30. ^ "No. 42503". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 1961. p. 7925.
  31. ^ "No. 38278". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 April 1948. p. 2747.
  32. ^ "No. 39797". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 March 1953. p. 1430.
  33. ^ "No. 41541". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 November 1958. p. 6786.
  34. ^ "No. 44633". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1968. p. 7850.
  35. ^ "No. 42692". The London Gazette. 29 May 1962. p. 4374.
  36. ^ a b Heathcote, p. 121
  37. ^ "Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing". ThePeerage.com. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  38. ^ "Fra' Matthew Festing". Order of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  39. ^ "No. 53857". The London Gazette. 23 November 1994. p. 16376.
  40. ^ "Honorary degrees for brothers". University of Northumbria. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francis Wogan Festing.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
1945–1946 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
June – September 1949 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC British Troops in Egypt
1952–1954 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC-in-C Eastern Command
1954–1956 		Succeeded by
Preceded by C-in-C Far East Land Forces
1956–1958 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1958–1961
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
1953–1965 		Succeeded by
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