Desmond Gordon
Encyclopedia
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
.
and the Royal Military College Sandhurst
, Gordon was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1932. He served in World War II
as Commanding Officer of 1/7th Queen's Regiment from 1943 and then as Commander of 151st (Durham) Infantry Brigade from 1944 and as Commander of 146th Infantry Brigade
from later that year in North West Europe.
After the War he was made Commander of 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade. 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. 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. His last appointment was as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1964 before retiring in 1966.
In retirement he became Commander-in-Chief of the St John's Ambulance Brigade
. Carlos Luis Sancha was commissioned to paint his portrait in 1976.
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...
CBE
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...
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...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(25 December 1911 - 4 November 1997) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded 4th Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
.
Military career
Educated at HaileyburyHaileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
and the Royal Military College Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Gordon was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1932. 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...
as Commanding Officer of 1/7th Queen's Regiment from 1943 and then as Commander of 151st (Durham) Infantry Brigade from 1944 and as Commander of 146th Infantry Brigade
146th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 146th Infantry Brigade was a formation active during the First World War, the Second World War, and with the Territorial Army during the early part of the Cold War.-Second World War :...
from later that year in North West Europe.
After the War he was made Commander of 131st Lorried Infantry Brigade. He became Deputy Director of Infantry 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 1951, Commander of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group in 1952 and Assistant Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
in 1956. He went on to be Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General at Headquarters 1st Corps in 1959, 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...
4th Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
in 1959 and Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
in 1962. His last appointment was as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1964 before retiring in 1966.
In retirement he became Commander-in-Chief of the St John's Ambulance Brigade
St. John Ambulance
St John Ambulance, branded as St John in some territories, is a common name used by a number of affiliated organisations in different countries dedicated to the teaching and practice of medical first aid and the provision of ambulance services, all of which derive their origins from the St John...
. Carlos Luis Sancha was commissioned to paint his portrait in 1976.