David Dawnay
Sir David Dawnay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 July 1903 |
| Died | 9 October 1971 (aged 68) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1924-1954 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands | 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment North Irish Horse 21st Army Tank Brigade 26th Armoured Brigade 86th Area 2nd Armoured Brigade 8th Armoured Brigade RMA Sandhurst |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar |
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's polo | ||
 |
1936 Berlin | Team competition |
Major-General Sir David Dawnay KCVO CB DSO (10 July 1903 – 9 October 1971) was a British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was also a British polo player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Military career
Born the son of Major the Hon. Hugh Dawnay, son of the 8th Viscount Downe and Lady Susan de la Poer Beresford, daughter of the 5th Marquess of Waterford and educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,[1] Dawnay was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1924 and then transferred to the 10th Royal Hussars later that year.[2] He was part of the British polo team which won the silver medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics: he played both matches in the tournament, the first against Mexico and the final against Argentina.[3]
Dawnay served in the Second World War as Commanding Officer of the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment and then as Commanding Officer of the North Irish Horse in 1941.[2] After serving as Second in Command of 23rd Armoured Brigade and then of 26th Armoured Brigade in 1943, he became Commander of 21st Army Tank Brigade in 1944 and then Commander of 26th Armoured Brigade in 1945.[2]
After the War he became Commander of 86th Area based at Venice in Italy and then Commander of 2nd Armoured Brigade.[2] He was made Deputy Commander of North Midland District in 1948, Commander of 8th Armoured Brigade in 1948 and Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1951 until he retired in 1954.[2]
In retirement he was Secretary to the Ascot Authority and Clerk of the Course at Ascot.[4]
Family
In 1926 Dawnay married his cousin Lady Katharine Nora de la Poer Beresford, daughter of Henry de la Poer Beresford, 6th Marquess of Waterford and Lady Beatrix Frances Petty-FitzMaurice; they had two daughters and two sons.[1] His son Major Hugh Dawnay was a well known polo player and respected coach whose son, Sebastian Dawnay, is also a professional polo player. Hugh's twin, Peter, married Caroline, daughter of Group Captain Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley.[1][5]
References
- ^ a b c The Peerage.com
- ^ a b c d e Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ David Dawnay: polo profile Archived 8 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Holmes a Court Archived 16 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 'Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage', 2015 Edition: Viscount Downe
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- 1903 births
- 1971 deaths
- British Army generals
- Rifle Brigade officers
- 10th Royal Hussars officers
- Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- People educated at Eton College
- Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
- Commandants of Sandhurst
- Reconnaissance Corps officers
- North Irish Horse officers
- British Army personnel of World War II
- English polo players
- Olympic polo players of Great Britain
- Polo players at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain
- Roehampton Trophy
- Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics
- Dawnay family