Eric Bertram Rowcroft
Encyclopedia
Major General Sir
Eric Bertram Rowcroft CB
, KBE
, M.I.Mech.E.
, M.I.E.E.
; 1891 – 12 March 1963), was a British Army
officer. His military career started in 1908 as a TA Officer in the Royal Engineers
and retired at the rank of Major General in 1946. He is noted for his involvement in the formation of The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and the planning of Operation Overlord
.
in a technical capacity. During the interwar period he served in India, Ceylon and even at the Tank Inspection Department, at Woolwich Arsenal
. His Army Career continued along the Technical route when in 1936 he was appointed Commander Royal Army Service Corps
(RASC), 1st Div in Palestine
.
; as a beach invasion on such a vast scale, the operation had vast engineering challenges, paramount was the waterproofing and de-waterproofing of all British Army vehicles.
(CB) in 1944 and upon retirement in 1946 from the Army he became a Knight of the Order of the British Empire
(KBE). However his involvement in REME continued until 1956 as he served in the capacity of Colonel Commandant
. During his later years he got heavily involved in local affairs in his home town of Lyme Regis
, where he died in 1963.
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...
Eric Bertram Rowcroft 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...
, KBE
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...
, M.I.Mech.E.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
, M.I.E.E.
Institution of Electrical Engineers
The Institution of Electrical Engineers was a British professional organisation of electronics, electrical, manufacturing, and Information Technology professionals, especially electrical engineers. The I.E.E...
; 1891 – 12 March 1963), 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. His military career started in 1908 as a TA Officer in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and retired at the rank of Major General in 1946. He is noted for his involvement in the formation of The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and the planning of Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
.
Military career
After his initial involvement with the TA, Rowcroft received his commission in 1911 after he passed out of Sandhurst into the Army Service Corps. At the outbreak of The First World War he served with the BEF overseas serving with various mechanical transport units. By 1918, Rowcroft worked at the War OfficeWar 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 a technical capacity. During the interwar period he served in India, Ceylon and even at the Tank Inspection Department, at Woolwich Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
. His Army Career continued along the Technical route when in 1936 he was appointed Commander Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
(RASC), 1st Div in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
.
Second World War
On the outbreak of the Second World War, Rowcroft was in command of the RASC Training Battalion, back in the UK. However the repair and recovery element within the British Army was divided between the various service corps of the time, this was considered inefficient. By 1942 REME was formed to recover and maintain the army's equipment, both in the battlefield and in the rear area, with Rowcroft becoming its first Director. As part of his responsibilities as Director, he assisted in the planning of Operation OverlordOperation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
; as a beach invasion on such a vast scale, the operation had vast engineering challenges, paramount was the waterproofing and de-waterproofing of all British Army vehicles.
Later life
For his efforts during The Second World War he was awarded the Companion of the Order of BathOrder 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...
(CB) in 1944 and upon retirement in 1946 from the Army he became a Knight of the Order of the British Empire
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...
(KBE). However his involvement in REME continued until 1956 as he served in the capacity of Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
. During his later years he got heavily involved in local affairs in his home town of Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, where he died in 1963.
See also
- Royal Army Service CorpsRoyal Army Service CorpsThe Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
- The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Operation OverlordOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
- REME Museum of TechnologyREME Museum of TechnologyThe REME Museum of Technology is located south east of Reading. The museum holds collections of various technological artifacts associated with the work of the REME, the corps of the British Army responsible for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of electrical and mechanical equipment hence...
External links
- http://www.koi-hai.com/Default.aspx?id=490726
- http://www.rememuseum.org.uk