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Arthur Dowler

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Sir Arthur Dowler
File:Sir-Arthur-Arnhold-Bullick-Dowler.jpg
Born16 July 1895
New York City, New York, United States
Died14 November 1963 (aged 68)
Bletchingley, Surrey, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1914–1954
RankLieutenant-General
Service number8634
UnitEast Surrey Regiment
Commands1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
2nd Infantry Brigade
38th (Welsh) Infantry Division
East Africa Command
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Plaque to Dowler in All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames

Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Arnhold Bullick Dowler KCB KBE DL (16 July 1895 – 14 November 1963) was a senior British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding (GOC) East Africa Command.

Military career

Educated at Tonbridge School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,[1] Dowler was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the East Surrey Regiment in 1914.[2] He served in the First World War with the 2nd Battalion, East Surreys in France and Belgium.[2]

Attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1931 to 1932, alongside Brian Horrocks, Sidney Kirkman, Cameron Nicholson and Thomas Rees,[3] Dowler also saw active service in the Second World War, initially in 1939 as Commanding Officer (CO) of the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment and then as a General Staff Officer (GSO) with the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division.[2] In 1940 he was promoted to Brigadier and served on the General Staff of V Corps and, promoted on 1 October 1940 to colonel,[4] subsequently commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade.[2] He was involved in the Narvik expedition in 1940, part of the Norwegian Campaign.[1] In 1942 he was made General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and then Major-General in charge of Administration of Southern Command.[2] He was put in charge of Administration for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) in 1944.[2]

After the war he was appointed Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine, before becoming Director of Infantry at the War Office in 1947.[2] He was GOC East Africa Command from 1948 to 1951 and subsequently Colonel of the East Surrey Regiment until his resignation in 1954.[2][5] In May 1958 he became Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Queen's Royal Surreys
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. ^ Smart, p. 90
  4. ^ "No. 35021". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 December 1940. p. 7203.
  5. ^ "No. 40221". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 February 1954. p. 3882.
  6. ^ "The East Surrey Regiment, formerly the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment and 70th (Surrey) Regiment: personal papers of the members of the regiment, 1794-2007" (PDF). Surrey County Council. Retrieved 1 April 2018.

Bibliography

  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division
1941–1942 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the East Surrey Regiment
1946–1954 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by GOC East Africa Command
1948–1951 		Succeeded by
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