Eric Girdwood

Eric Girdwood
Born	(1876-10-14)14 October 1876 Strandtown, Belfast, Ireland
Died	24 May 1963(1963-05-24) (aged 86) Towcester, Northamptonshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1899-1935
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	156th Infantry Brigade 74th (Yeomanry) Division 9th Infantry Brigade 3rd Division Iraq Bombay RMC Sandhurst Northern Ireland District
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George

Major General Sir Eric Stanley Girdwood KBE CB CMG (1876–1963) was a British military officer who served as General Officer Commanding the Northern Ireland District from 1931 to 1935.

Military career

Educated at the Belfast Royal Academy, Girdwood was commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1899. He served in the Second Boer War.

He also served in World War I, having been appointed a Brigade Major with the Scottish Rifles Brigade in 1911. He fought with his regiment at Gallipoli, becoming Commander of the 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade in Egypt and Palestine in 1916. He was made General Officer Commanding 74th (Yeomanry) Division in Palestine and France later that year.

After the War he was appointed Commander 9th Infantry Brigade and then GOC 3rd Division in 1919. He was made Commander of Military Forces in Iraq in 1924 and GOC Bombay District of India in 1926. He was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1927 and GOC Northern Ireland District in 1931; he retired in 1935.