John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton: Difference between revisions

The Lord Harding of Petherton
The Lord Harding of Petherton
	Field Marshal Lord Harding
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1914 - 1955
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands	7th Armoured Division; VIII Corps; XIII Corps; British Forces in the Mediterranean
Battles/wars	World War I; World War II
Awards	GCB, CBE, DSO, MC

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Field Marshal Allan Francis John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC (10 February 1896 - 20 January 1989) was a British Army officer and Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957, Cyprus being a British colony at that time.

Army career

Educated at Ilminster Grammar School and King's College London, Harding left his studies to join the Territorial Army in 1914. During the First World War was called to the regular armed forces as a lieutenant in the Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry) and assigned to the Middle East theatre of operations.^[1]

During the Second World War, Harding saw action in North Africa and Italy in command of 7th Armoured Division, VIII Corps and XIII Corps.^[2]

In 1946 he succeeding General Alexander as commander of British forces in the Mediterranean; in 1948 he went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Far East Land Forces and in 1951 he became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine.^[1]

From 1952 to 1955 he was Chief of the Imperial General Staff. He became a field marshal in 1953.^[1]

Cyprus

On 3 October, 1955, Harding was assigned the post of Governor of the British colony of Cyprus. As Governor of Cyprus, Harding sought to restore the relations with the United Kingdom, by negotiating with both the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities on the island, while the British Government was negotiating with the Greek and Turkish governments. Harding took strict measures to improve the security situation in Cyprus, after EOKA declared it's armed struggle against the British, on 1st of April, 1955. To this end, Harding instituted a number of unprecedented measures including curfews, closures of schools, the opening of concentration camps, the indefinite detention of suspects without trial and the imposition of the death penalty for offences such as carrying weapons, incendiary devices or any material that could be used in a bomb. A number of such executions took place often in controversial circumstances (e.g. Michalis Karaolis) leading to resentment, in Cyprus, the United Kingdom and in other countries.^[3]

Implementing the policy of the British Government, Harding also attempted to use negotiations to end the Cyprus crisis. However, negotiations with Archbishop Makarios III were unsuccessful and, eventually, Harding exiled Makarios to the British Colony of Seychelles. On 21 March 1956 EOKA made an assassination attempt on Harding's life which failed as the time bomb under his bed failed to go off.^[4]

Facing growing criticism in the United Kingdom about the methods he used and their lack of effectiveness, Sir John Harding resigned as Governor of Cyprus on 22 October, 1957 and was replaced by Sir Hugh Foot.^[5]

Retirement

On his return to England, Harding was made a peer. In retirement he became the first Chairman of the Horse Race Betting Levy Board.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Heathcote, Anthony pg 170
^ Heathcote, Anthony pgs 169 - 170
^ Deepening Tragedy Time Magazine, 21 May 1956
^ The Field Marshal's Pea Time Magazine, 2 April 1956
^ Time for a change Time Magazine, 4 November 1957

External links

War service

Military offices
Preceded by Sir William Slim	Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1952–1955	Succeeded by Sir Gerald Templer
Preceded by Sir Robert Armitage	Governor of Cyprus 1955–1957	Succeeded by Sir Hugh Foot
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by New Creation	Baron Harding of Petherton 1958–1989	Succeeded by John Charles Harding

[Page170-1] Heathcote, Anthony pg 170

[2] Heathcote, Anthony pgs 169 - 170

[3] Deepening Tragedy Time Magazine, 21 May 1956

[4] The Field Marshal's Pea Time Magazine, 2 April 1956

[5] Time for a change Time Magazine, 4 November 1957

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Army career==
-Educated at [[Ilminster]] Grammar School and [[King's College London]], Harding left his studies to joine the [[Territorial Army]] in 1914. During the [[World War I|First World War]] was called to the regular armed forces as a [[lieutenant]] in the [[Somerset Light Infantry|Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)]] and assigned to the Middle East theatre of operations.<ref name="Page170"/>
+Educated at [[Ilminster]] Grammar School and [[King's College London]], Harding left his studies to join the [[Territorial Army]] in 1914. During the [[World War I|First World War]] was called to the regular armed forces as a [[lieutenant]] in the [[Somerset Light Infantry|Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)]] and assigned to the Middle East theatre of operations.<ref name="Page170"/>
 During the [[World War II|Second World War]], Harding saw action in [[North Africa]] and [[Italy]] in command of [[British 7th Armoured Division|7th Armoured Division]], [[British VIII Corps|VIII Corps]] and [[British XIII Corps|XIII Corps]].<ref>Heathcote, Anthony pgs 169 - 170</ref>

v t e Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces and Chiefs of the General Staff of the British Army
Commanders-in-Chief of the Forces	Duke of Albemarle Duke of Monmouth Earl of Marlborough Duke of Leinster Duke of Marlborough Duke of Ormonde Earl of Stair George Wade Duke of Cumberland Viscount Ligionier Marquess of Granby Lord Amherst Henry Conway Lord Amherst Duke of York Sir David Dundas Duke of York Duke of Wellington Viscount Hill Duke of Wellington Viscount Hardinge Duke of Cambridge Viscount Wolseley Earl Roberts
Chief of the General Staff	Sir Neville Lyttelton
Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff	Sir William Nicholson Sir John French Sir Charles Douglas Sir James Murray Sir Archibald Murray Sir William Robertson Sir Henry Wilson The Earl of Cavan Sir George Milne Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd Sir Cyril Deverell The Viscount Gort Sir Edmund Ironside Sir John Dill Sir Alan Brooke The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Sir William Slim Sir John Harding Sir Gerald Templer Sir Francis Festing Sir Richard Hull
Chiefs of the General Staff	Sir Richard Hull Sir James Cassels Sir Geoffrey Baker Sir Michael Carver Sir Peter Hunt Sir Roland Gibbs Sir Edwin Bramall Sir John Stanier Sir Nigel Bagnall Sir John Chapple Sir Peter Inge Sir Charles Guthrie Sir Roger Wheeler Sir Michael Walker Sir Mike Jackson Sir Richard Dannatt Sir David Richards Sir Peter Wall Sir Nick Carter Sir Mark Carleton-Smith Sir Patrick Sanders Sir Roland Walker