List of commanders of the British 2nd Division

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2nd Division
2nd Infantry Division
2nd Armoured Division
Second World War

The

chain of command, and then use the forces within the division to undertake the mission assigned. In addition to directing the tactical battle the division was involved in, the GOC oversaw a staff and the administrative, logistical, medical, training, and discipline of the division.[1]
The division had 65 different permanent GOCs over its history that spanned 203 years.

Prior to 1809, the British Army did not use divisional formations. As the British military grew in size during the

War of the Seventh Coalition broke out.[2][3] The division fought at the Battle of Waterloo, and played a pivotal role in the defeat of the final French attack of the day. The division's light infantry brigade flanked and attacked the French Imperial Guard, causing them to falter, and then retreat. The brigade then spearheaded the British general advance after the retreating French forces.[4][5] In December 1818, the division was disbanded once again.[6][7]

During the mid to late 19th century, several formations bore the name "2nd Division". The ones that fought in the Crimean War and the Second Boer War were considered to be part of the same lineage as the two that fought in the Napoleonic Wars by Everard Wyrall, who compiled the 2nd Division's First World War official history.[8] Reformed in 1854, the division fought in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire.[9] It served throughout the siege of Sevastopol, had a critical role in the Battle of Inkerman, and was stood down at the end of the war in 1856.[10] A new 2nd Division was mobilised in 1899, for action in the Second Boer War.[11] It took part in all the battles that comprised the Relief of Ladysmith, and was broken-up at the end of 1900 when conventional warfare ended. This allowed the division's personnel to be reassigned to mobile columns or to garrison towns, in an effort to combat the guerrilla tactics that the Boers employed.[12][13]

In 1902, the division was reformed as a permanent formation. It was based at

Burma in 1944 and 1945.[18] In the post-war years, it formed part of the British Army of the Rhine in Germany. In 1976, the infantry division was transformed into an armoured formation based in Germany, but was disbanded at the end of 1982. The 2nd Division was then reformed in York, England, in 1983.[19][20][21] Following the end of the Cold War, the division was once again disbanded. It was re-raised in 1994 as a training formation and maintained this role until 2012, when it was disbanded for the final time.[22][23]

General officer commanding

See also: General officer commanding

General officer commanding
No. Appointment date Rank General officer commanding Notes Source(s)
1 18 June 1809
Major-General
 Rowland Hill The division was formed for the first time, during the Peninsular War, from troops based in Portugal. [24]
N/A 20 June 1810
Major-General
James Leith
 		Leith was scheduled to take command of the division on this date, but never did. Instead, he was given command of the 5th Division. [25]
Acting 8 August 1810
Major-General
William Stewart
 		Stewart became acting commander of the division, due to Hill being stricken with fever. [26][27]
2 29 November 1810
Major-General
William Stewart
 		On this date, Stewart formally became the commander. [26][27]
1 May 1811
Major-General
 Rowland Hill Once Hill recovered from his period of sickness, he returned and retook command of the division. [28][29]
Acting 1812
Lieutenant-General
Christopher Tilson-Chowne
 		Held the local rank of lieutenant-general. Alternatively known as Christopher Tilson and Christopher Chowne. [26][30][31]
2 1812/1813
Major-General
William Stewart
 		Stewart returned to the peninsula in late 1812. At the division's next battle, the Battle of Maya in July 1813, Stewart was again in command. He was wounded in this battle. [26][32]
Acting 30 July 1813
Major-General
 William Pringle Took temporary command of the division following
William Stewart's injury during the Battle of Maya
in July 1813. 		[33]
Acting 4 August 1813
Major-General
 George Walker [34]
2 September 1813
Major-General
William Stewart
 		[33]
3 May 1814
Major-General
 William Anson At the conclusion of the Peninsular War, the division was disbanded in France. The final troops departed in June. [35][36]
4 11 April 1815
Lieutenant-General
 Henry Clinton The division was reformed on this date from troops based in the Southern Netherlands. Clinton led the division from its inception through the Battle of Waterloo, and as part of the Army of Occupation that was based in France after the war. He held command until the division was disbanded in France, during December 1818. [37]
5 20 June 1854
Lieutenant-General
 George de Lacy Evans The division was formed in Varna, Ottoman Bulgaria, from British troops who had been assembled, and had prepared to move to the Crimean peninsular during the Crimean War. [38][39]
Acting 1854
Major-General
 John Pennefather Pennefather was acting commander of the division, after de Lacy Evans had been injured following a fall from his horse. He commanded the division at the Battle of Inkerman on 5 November 1854. [40]
6 23 January 1855
Lieutenant-General
 John Pennefather In early 1855, Pennefather went on sick leave and an unknown officer took command. Pennefather returned to command by March 1855. [41]
7 19 July 1855
Lieutenant-General
 Edwin Markham In 1856, after the end of the war, the division was disbanded in Crimea. [42][43]
8 9 October 1899
Lieutenant-General
 Francis Clery A new 2nd Division was formed in England, and then moved to southern Africa to fight in the Second Boer War. Clery was a major-general when the division was mobilised, but given the temporary rank of lieutenant-general once in Africa. The division was broken up at the end of 1900, while still in southern Africa. [44][45]
9 February 1990
Major-General
 Neville Lyttelton Temporary commander, while Clery was ill [46]
10 1 April 1902
Major-General
 Charles Douglas This marked the first time the 2nd Division was formed as a permanent formation, and not as raised on an ad hoc basis for a particular war. Douglas left his position on 12 February 1904. [47][48]
11 1 March 1904
Major-General
 Bruce Hamilton Hamilton was also the commander of the 3rd Brigade, until 2 May 1904. On 12 February 1907, Hamilton ended his tenure as the divisional commander. [49]
12 12 May 1907
Major-General
 Theodore Stephenson [50]
13 1 February 1910
Major-General
 Henry Lawson [51]
14 1 February 1914
Major-General
 Archibald Murray [52]
15 5 August 1914
Major-General
 Charles Monro The division was dispatched to France on the outbreak of the
First World War
. 		[53]
Acting 26 December 1914
Brigadier-General
 Robert Fanshawe [53]
16 1 January 1915
Major-General
 Henry Horne [53]
17 5 November 1915
Major-General
 William Walker [53]
18 27 December 1916
Major-General
 Cecil Pereira Pereira held command for the duration of the war. In 1919, the division entered Germany. It was then renamed, and ceased to exist on 17 February 1919. [53][54]
19 28 June 1919
Major-General
 Richard Butler The 2nd Division was reformed in England on this date [55][56]
20 3 April 1923
Major-General
 Peter Strickland [57]
21 1 October 1926
Major-General
 Edmund Ironside [58]
22 26 October 1928
Major-General
 Thomas Cubitt Cubitt was promoted to lieutenant-general during his tenure as division commander. [59]
23 11 March 1931
Major-General
 Henry Jackson [60]
24 11 March 1935
Major-General
 Archibald Wavell [61]
25 19 August 1937
Major-General
Henry Wilson
 		[62]
26 15 June 1939
Major-General
 Charles Loyd The division was now known as the 2nd Infantry Division. On the outbreak of the
Second World War
, the division was dispatched to France. 		[63][64]
Acting 16 May 1940 Brigadier Francis Davidson [65]
27 20 May 1940
Major-General
 Noel Irwin During Irwin's tenure, the division was evacuated from France and returned to England. [64]
Acting 12 August 1940 Brigadier Charles Findlay [65]
Acting 15 August 1940 Brigadier Gerald Gartlan [65]
28 18 September 1940
Major-General
 Daril Watson [65]
29 11 October 1941
Major-General
 John Grover In April 1942, the division was dispatched to British India. [64]
30 8 July 1944
Major-General
 Cameron Nicholson [65]
Acting 15 August 1944 Brigadier Michael West [65]
30 23 August 1944
Major-General
 Cameron Nicholson [65]
Acting 26 August 1944 Brigadier Henry Bourke [65]
30 10 September 1944
Major-General
 Cameron Nicholson [65]
Acting 13 September 1944 Brigadier Henry Bourke [65]
30 24 September 1944
Major-General
 Cameron Nicholson The division took part in the
Burma campaign of 1944–45, and fought at the battles of Kohima and Mandalay
. 		[64]
Acting 1 June 1945 Brigadier Henry Bourke [65]
30 12 July 1945
Major-General
 Cameron Nicholson [66][65]
31 1946
Major-General
 Robert Arkwright [67]
32 October 1946
Major-General
 John Churcher After the conclusion of hostilities, the division absorbed the 36th Infantry Division. The division then moved to Malaya, and was disbanded in 1946. [68][69]
33 February 1947
Major-General
 Philip Balfour The division was reformed in Germany, by the re-designation of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. Balfour, who had been the GOC of the 53rd, retained his position. [66][70][71]
34 November 1947
Major-General
 Philip Roberts [72]
35 1949
Major-General
 Colin Callander Callander ended his appointment on 26 April 1951 [73][74]
36 2 July 1951
Major-General
 Basil Coad [75]
37 5 October 1954
Major-General
 John Wilsey [76]
38 1 May 1956
Major-General
 Cosmo Nevill [77]
39 16 April 1958
Major-General
 William Stirling The formation was now known as the 2nd Division. [78]
40 8 February 1960
Major-General
 Alexander Williams [79]
41 20 February 1962
Major-General
 Mervyn Butler [80]
42 4 March 1964
Major-General
 Norman Wheeler [81]
43 28 March 1966
Major-General
 John Sharp Sharp ended his tenure in command on 1 December 1967 [82]
44 1 January 1968
Major-General
 Chandos Blair [83]
45 15 March 1970
Major-General
 Rollo Pain [84]
46 15 March 1972
Major-General
 John Archer [85]
47 25 February 1974
Major-General
 Desmond Mangham [86]
48 22 January 1976
Major-General
 Frank Kitson Kitson took command of the division prior to and led it during its reorganisation into the 2nd Armoured Division. [87][88]
49 28 February 1978
Major-General
 Alexander Boswell [89]
50 12 March 1980
Major-General
 Martin Farndale Final commander of the 2nd Armoured Division. The division was disbanded in Germany at the end of 1983. [90][91]
51 1 January 1983
Major-General
 Patrick Palmer The 2nd Infantry Division was reformed in England on this date. Palmer was made GOC North East District, in conjunction with commanding the division. [92]
52 12 January 1984
Major-General
 Peter Inge Also the GOC North East District [93]
53 18 January 1988
Major-General
 Charles Guthrie Also the GOC North East District [94]
54 13 November 1987
Major-General
 Murray Naylor Also the GOC North East District [95]
55 30 October 1989
Major-General
 Michael Rose Also the GOC North East District [96]
56 30 September 1991
Major-General
 Michael Walker Also the GOC North East District. Walker was the final GOC of the 2nd Infantry Division, before it was disbanded in early 1992 as part of the 1990s Options for Change. [97][98]
57 1994
Major-General
 Patrick Cordingley Cordingley became GOC Eastern District on 23 November 1992. The 2nd Division was refounded in 1994. [22][99][100][101]
58 1 July 1996
Major-General
 Dair Farrar-Hockley [102]
59 14 May 1999
Major General
 Robert Gordon This marks the first occasion of the hyphen being dropped from major-general in The London Gazette. [103]
60 18 November 2002
Major General
 Nick Parker [104]
61 1 March 2004
Major General
 Euan Loudon [105]
62 22 January 2007
Major General
 David McDowall [106]
63 29 May 2009
Major General
 Andrew Mackay Resigned from position in protest to the then ongoing operations in Afghanistan [107][108]
64 26 October 2009
Major General
 David Shaw [109]
65 4 January 2012
Major General
 Nick Eeles The division was disbanded in April 2012, as part of an army restructure. [110][111]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Haythornthwaite 2016, The Divisional System.
  2. ^ Oman 1930, pp. 496 and 513.
  3. ^ Glover 2015, pp. 35–46.
  4. ^ Siborne 1900, pp. 473, 529, 531–536.
  5. ^ Glover 2014, pp. 189–191.
  6. ^ Siborne 1900, pp. 659, 683, 688, 696, 704, 716, 732, 748.
  7. ^ Glover 2015, pp. 199–200.
  8. ^ Wyrall 1921a, pp. xi–xii.
  9. ^ Barthorp 1980, p. 155; Bowden 1991, p. 16; Ponting 2006, p. 7.
  10. ^ Warner 2001, pp. 75–79, 150–152; Ffrench Blake 2006, pp. 86–94, 98–101, 143–144, 150–151; Raugh 2004, p. 187; Richards 2006, p. 152; Demchak 2011, p. 127.
  11. ^ Dunlop 1938, p. 72.
  12. ^ Conan Doyle 1901, pp. 190–192, 254–255, 267–276, 284–285, 289, 291–294.
  13. ^ Creswicke 1901, pp. 98, 138.
  14. ^ Dunlop 1938, pp. 218–219, 245.
  15. ^ "War Office, Monthly Army List, December 1920". War Office. 1920. p. 62. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  16. ^ Wyrall 1921a, Contents.
  17. ^ Wyrall 1921b, Contents.
  18. ^ Joslen 2003, p. 40.
  19. ^ Isby 1988, p. 336.
  20. ^ Kneen & Sutton 1996, p. 183.
  21. ^ Blaker, Peter (1981). "1(BR) Corps, Written Answers (Commons), HC Deb 20 July 1981 vol 9 cc57-8W". House of Commons Library: Historic Hansard. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Cordingley, Patrick Anthony John (Oral History)". Imperial War Museum. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ Heyman 2002, Chapter 2 – Army Organisations; Taylor 2011, p. 5; Vox Militaris 1995, p. 155.
  24. ^ Reid 2004, p. 40.
  25. ^ Reid 2004, p. 41.
  26. ^ a b c d Reid 2004, p. 42.
  27. ^ a b Oman 1911, p. 5.
  28. ^ Oman 1911, p. 416.
  29. ^ Reid 2004, p. 43.
  30. ^ Oman 1914, p. 323.
  31. ^ McGuigan & Burnham 2010, p. 34.
  32. ^ Oman 1922, pp. 226 and 626.
  33. ^ a b McGuigan & Burnham 2017, p. 242.
  34. ^ McGuigan & Burnham 2017, p. 304.
  35. ^ Oman 1930, p. 513.
  36. ^ McGuigan & Burnham 2017, p. 21.
  37. ^ Glover 2015, pp. 11–22, 31, 199–200.
  38. ^ Barthorp 1980, p. 155.
  39. ^ "No. 21564". The London Gazette. 22 June 1854. p. 1932.
  40. ^ Ffrench Blake 2006, p. 82.
  41. ^ "No. 21653". The London Gazette. 23 January 1855. p. 251. and "No. 21681". The London Gazette. 22 March 1855. p. 1173.
  42. ^ "No. 21755". The London Gazette. 1 August 1855. p. 2943.
  43. ^ Demchak 2011, p. 127.
  44. ^ Creswicke 1900, pp. 52, 66, 136, 160, Chart of Staff Appointments Made at the Commencement of the War; Creswicke 1901, pp. 98, 138; Dunlop 1938, p. 72.
  45. ^ "No. 27126". The London Gazette. 13 October 1899. p. 6179. and "No. 27282". The London Gazette. 8 February 1901. p. 974.
  46. ^ "No. 27282". The London Gazette. 8 February 1901. p. 937. and "No. 27282". The London Gazette. 8 February 1901. p. 974.
  47. ^ "No. 27434". The London Gazette. 6 May 1902. p. 3254., "No. 27442". The London Gazette. 13 June 1902. p. 3900., and "No. 27646". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 February 1904. p. 1011.
  48. ^ Lord & Watson 2003, p. 27.
  49. ^ "No. 27659". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 March 1904. p. 1792., "No. 27676". The London Gazette. 13 May 1904. p. 3083. and "No. 27994". The London Gazette. 12 February 1907. p. 966.
  50. ^ "No. 28024". The London Gazette. 24 May 1907. p. 3593.
  51. ^ "No. 28337". The London Gazette. 8 February 1910. p. 949.
  52. ^ "No. 28799". The London Gazette. 6 February 1914. p. 983. and "No. 28873". The London Gazette. 18 August 1914. p. 6499.
  53. ^ a b c d e Becke 2007, p. 41.
  54. ^ Wyrall 1921b, p. 695.
  55. ^ "War Office, Monthly Army List, May 1921". War Office. 1921. p. 30. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  56. ^ "No. 32811". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 July 1919. p. 31464. and "No. 32811". The London Gazette. 3 April 1923. p. 2512.
  57. ^ "War Office, Monthly Army List, January 1926". War Office. 1926. p. 20. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  58. ^ "No. 33212". The London Gazette. 19 October 1926. p. 6688.
  59. ^ "No. 33435". The London Gazette. 2 November 1928. p. 7125., and "No. 33697". The London Gazette. 10 March 1931. p. 1645.
  60. ^ "No. 33700". The London Gazette. 20 March 1931. p. 1896. and "No. 34141". The London Gazette. 12 March 1935. p. 1730.
  61. ^ "No. 34143". The London Gazette. 19 March 1935. p. 1905.
  62. ^ "No. 34430". The London Gazette. 27 August 1937. p. 5439. and "No. 34639". The London Gazette. 23 June 1939. p. 4244.
  63. ^ "No. 34637". The London Gazette. 20 June 1939. p. 4153.
  64. ^ a b c d Joslen 2003, pp. 39–40.
  65. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Joslen 2003, p. 39.
  66. ^ a b Lord & Watson 2003, p. 28.
  67. ^ WW 1968, p. 85.
  68. ^ Messenger 1994, p. 155; Lord & Watson 2003, p. 27; Luto 2013, pp. 8–9.
  69. doi:10.1080/03071844609433982
    .
  70. doi:10.1080/03071844709423998
    .
  71. ^ "Balfour, Philip". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  72. ^ "Military Appointments". The Times. No. 50813. 15 July 1947. p. 2.
  73. ^ "No. 39221". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 May 1951. p. 2575.
  74. ^ "Colin Callander". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  75. ^ "No. 39291". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 July 1951. p. 3981. and "No. 40292". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 October 1954. p. 5629.
  76. ^ "No. 40295". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 October 1954. p. 5691.
  77. ^ "No. 40766". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 April 1956. p. 2543.
  78. ^ "No. 41365". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 April 1958. p. 2453.
  79. ^ "No. 41949". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 February 1960. p. 1005.
  80. ^ "No. 42601". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1962. p. 1465.
  81. ^ "No. 43259". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1964. p. 1971.
  82. ^ "No. 43935". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 March 1966. p. 3513., "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 73., and "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 74.
  83. ^ "No. 44493". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 74.
  84. ^ "No. 45060". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 March 1970. p. 3119.
  85. ^ "No. 45626". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 March 1972. p. 3440.
  86. ^ "No. 46218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 February 1974. p. 2553.
  87. ^ Isby 1988, p. 332.
  88. ^ "No. 46807". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 January 1976. p. 1289.
  89. ^ "No. 47474". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 February 1978. p. 2580.
  90. ^ "No. 48130". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 March 1980. p. 4156. and "No. 49237". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 January 1983. p. 749.
  91. ^ Blaker, Peter (1981). "1(BR) Corps, Written Answers (Commons), HC Deb 20 July 1981 vol 9 cc57-8W". House of Commons Library: Historic Hansard. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  92. ^ "No. 49237". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 January 1983. p. 749.
  93. ^ "No. 49625". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 January 1984. p. 1045.
  94. ^ "No. 50426". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 February 1986. p. 1965.
  95. ^ "No. 51121". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 November 1987. p. 14140.
  96. ^ "No. 51919". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 October 1989. p. 12507. and "No. 52691". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 October 1991. p. 16034.
  97. ^ "No. 52697". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 October 1991. p. 16455. and "No. 52885". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 April 1992. p. 6175.
  98. ^ Tanner 2014, p. 13.
  99. ^ Vox Militaris 1995, p. 155.
  100. ^ "No. 53115". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 November 1992. p. 19795.
  101. ^ Kohima Museum. "The 2nd Division". Kohima Museum. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  102. ^ "No. 54453". The London Gazette. 1 July 1996. p. 8911.
  103. ^ "No. 55488". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 May 1999. p. 5471.
  104. ^ "No. 56784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 December 2002. p. 15275.
  105. ^ "No. 57246". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 March 2004. p. 4059.
  106. ^ "No. 58226". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 January 2007. p. 889.
  107. ^ "No. 59077". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 2009. p. 9348.
  108. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (24 September 2009), "Army chief quits suddenly as protests over troops mount", The Guardian, London, United Kingdom
  109. ^ "No. 59249". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 November 2009. p. 20321.
  110. ^ Taylor 2011, p. 5.
  111. ^ "No. 60025". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 January 2012. p. 286.

References

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