Charles Hamilton Boucher
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Charles Boucher KBE
CB
DSO
and bar
(1898–1951) was an officer
in the British Indian Army
during World War II
.
in 1916.
He was promoted to Lieutenant
in 1917 and subsequently transferred to the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles. He was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
in 1938.
He served in World War II
, initially as a General Staff Officer, before being made a Brigadier
on the General Staff
of Paiforce in Iraq
in 1941.
In 1942 he was appointed Commander of 10th Indian Infantry Brigade
in North Africa
. Whilst commanding Indian 10th Infantry Brigade he was captured on 6 June 1942 during the fighting in the Knightsbridge Cauldron
when his headquarters
were overrun. He was held as a POW
in Italy until the Italian Armistice with Italy
in 1943 when he made his way back to the Allied lines in southern Italy.
In February 1944 he assumed command of 17th Infantry Brigade, leading them through the final Battle of Monte Cassino
, the advance north of Rome and the fighting on the Gothic Line
.
In January 1945 Boucher took command of Indian 4th Infantry Division which had been sent to Greece in November 1944 to help stabilise the country after the Axis
withdrawal.
In 1946 he became General Officer Commanding Indian 2nd Airborne Division and in 1948 he became General Officer Commanding Malaya District
as well as Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Gurkhas
in Malaya.
He retired in 1950.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(1898–1951) was an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Military career
Boucher was commissioned into the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)
The 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army before being transferred to the British Army on India's independence in 1947. The 4th Battalion joined the Indian Army as the 5th Battalion, 8th Gurkha Rifles , where it exists to this day...
in 1916.
He was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1917 and subsequently transferred to the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles. He was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
in 1938.
He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, initially as a General Staff Officer, before being made a Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
on the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
of Paiforce in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 1941.
In 1942 he was appointed Commander of 10th Indian Infantry Brigade
10th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939. In June 1940 it was assigned to the 5th Indian Infantry Division and in September 1940, sailed for East Africa...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Whilst commanding Indian 10th Infantry Brigade he was captured on 6 June 1942 during the fighting in the Knightsbridge Cauldron
Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
when his headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
were overrun. He was held as a POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Italy until the Italian Armistice with Italy
Armistice with Italy
The Armistice with Italy was an armistice signed on September 3 and publicly declared on September 8, 1943, during World War II, between Italy and the Allied armed forces, who were then occupying the southern end of the country, entailing the capitulation of Italy...
in 1943 when he made his way back to the Allied lines in southern Italy.
In February 1944 he assumed command of 17th Infantry Brigade, leading them through the final Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
, the advance north of Rome and the fighting on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
.
In January 1945 Boucher took command of Indian 4th Infantry Division which had been sent to Greece in November 1944 to help stabilise the country after the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
withdrawal.
In 1946 he became General Officer Commanding Indian 2nd Airborne Division and in 1948 he became General Officer Commanding Malaya District
Malaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
as well as Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Gurkhas
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
in Malaya.
He retired in 1950.