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Desmond Gordon

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Desmond Gordon
Born25 December 1911
Died4 November 1997 (aged 85)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1932−1966
RankMajor-General
Service number50906
UnitGreen Howards
Commands1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
151st Infantry Brigade
146th Infantry Brigade
131st Lorried Infantry Brigade
16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group
4th Division
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order

Major-General Desmond Spencer Gordon CB CBE DSO JP DL (25 December 1911 – 4 November 1997) was a British Army officer who commanded 4th Division.

Military career

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Educated at Haileybury and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,[1] Gordon was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Green Howards on 28 January 1932.[2][3]

He served in the Second World War as Commanding Officer of 1/7th Queen's Regiment from 1943 and then as Commander of the 151st (Durham) Infantry Brigade from 1944 and as Commander of 146th Infantry Brigade from later that year in North West Europe.[4]

After the War he was made Commander of 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade.[3] He became Deputy Director of Infantry at the War Office in 1951, Commander of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group in 1952 and Assistant Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1956.[3] He went on to be Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General at Headquarters 1st Corps in 1959, General Officer Commanding 4th Division in 1959 and Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1962.[3] His last appointment was as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1964 before retiring in 1966.[3]

In retirement he became Commander-in-Chief of the St John's Ambulance Brigade.[3] Carlos Luis Sancha was commissioned to paint his portrait in 1976.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "St John of Jerusalem". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  2. ^ "No. 33794". The London Gazette. 29 January 1932. p. 632.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Desmond Spencer Gordon Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  4. ^ Generals.dk
  5. ^ Major-General Desmond Spencer Gordon, CB, CBE, DSO, Colonel of the Regiment (1965–1975) by Carlos Luis Sancha
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Military offices
Preceded by GOC 4th Division
1959−1961
Succeeded by