Denis O'Connor (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Denis Stuart Scott (Rory) O'Connor KBE
CB
(1907–1988) was General Officer Commanding
Aldershot District
.
in 1927 and was deployed in India
from 1929 to 1935.
He served in World War II
initially as an Instructor at the Staff College and then with 11th Armoured Division. He was appointed Commanding Officer
of 63rd Medium Artillery Regiment in North West Europe in 1944 and was then deployed with the 14th Army to Burma in 1945.
After the War he became Director of Plans to the Supreme Allied Commander for South East Asia Command
before becoming a Brigadier
on the General Staff of Middle East Command
in 1946. He was appointed Chief Instructor at the Royal School of Artillery
in 1951 and Commander
Royal Artillery for 11th Armoured Division in 1953.
He became Director of Plans at the War Office
in 1955 and General Officer Commanding
6th Armoured Division in 1957. He was made Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in London
in 1958 and GOC Aldershot District
in 1960. He was appointed Vice Chief of Defence Staff
in 1962 and Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
in 1964. He retired in 1966.
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...
(1907–1988) was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Aldershot District
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
.
Military career
O'Connor was commissioned into the Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1927 and was deployed in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 1929 to 1935.
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 an Instructor at the Staff College and then with 11th Armoured Division. He was appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 63rd Medium Artillery Regiment in North West Europe in 1944 and was then deployed with the 14th Army to Burma in 1945.
After the War he became Director of Plans to the Supreme Allied Commander for South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
before becoming 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 of Middle East Command
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
in 1946. He was appointed Chief Instructor at the Royal School of Artillery
Royal School of Artillery
The Royal School of Artillery is the principal training establishment for artillery warfare in the British Army. Established in 1915, it is located at Larkhill, on the south edge of Salisbury Plain in the United Kingdom...
in 1951 and Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Royal Artillery for 11th Armoured Division in 1953.
He became Director of Plans at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1955 and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
6th Armoured Division in 1957. He was made Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1958 and GOC Aldershot District
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
in 1960. He was appointed Vice Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
in 1962 and Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
in 1964. He retired in 1966.