Geoffrey Scoones
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Geoffrey Allen Percival Scoones KCB
, KBE
, CSI
, DSO
, MC
(25 January 1893 – 1975) was a general in the British Indian Army
during the Second World War. His younger brother was Reginald "Cully" Scoones
.
of the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Gurkha Rifles. In 1940 he was appointed Deputy Director of Military Operations, India. The following year, he became Director of Military Operations and Intelligence, India, with the rank of major-general.
In 1942, he briefly commanded the Indian 19th Infantry Division before being promoted to lieutenant-general and appointed to command IV Corps. This Corps defended Imphal
in Manipur
, on the frontier between India
and Japanese-held Burma. It also had responsibility for a large rear area, and a very large tract of unmapped and trackless jungle-covered frontier.
Scoones commanded the Corps through the gruelling Battle of Imphal
. In December 1944 he and his fellow corps commanders Stopford and Christison
were knighted and invested as KBE
by the viceroy Lord Wavell
at a ceremony at Imphal in front of the Scottish, Gurkha and Punjab regiments. Slim
was knighted and invested as KCB
at the same occasion.
Scoones was subsequently appointed to Central Command in India, an Army-level HQ which was nevertheless essentially a rear-area and administrative command.
In 1947 he was briefly the last Military Secretary to the India Office
. Later in the year he became Principal Staff Officer at the Commonwealth Relations Office. Between 1947 to 1949 he was also Aide de camp to King George VI. From 1953 to 1957, he was High Commissioner to New Zealand.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Geoffrey Allen Percival Scoones KCB
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...
, CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, 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...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(25 January 1893 – 1975) was a general 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 the Second World War. His younger brother was Reginald "Cully" Scoones
Reginald Laurence Scoones
Major-General Sir Reginald Laurence Scoones KBE, CB, DSO was a British Army officer who served during World War II and its aftermath. His older brother was Lieutenant-General Geoffrey Scoones.-Early years:...
.
Military career
In 1935 Scoones was made Commanding OfficerCommanding 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 the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Gurkha Rifles. In 1940 he was appointed Deputy Director of Military Operations, India. The following year, he became Director of Military Operations and Intelligence, India, with the rank of major-general.
In 1942, he briefly commanded the Indian 19th Infantry Division before being promoted to lieutenant-general and appointed to command IV Corps. This Corps defended Imphal
Imphal
Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr....
in Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, on the frontier between 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...
and Japanese-held Burma. It also had responsibility for a large rear area, and a very large tract of unmapped and trackless jungle-covered frontier.
Scoones commanded the Corps through the gruelling Battle of Imphal
Battle of Imphal
The Battle of Imphal took place in the region around the city of Imphal, the capital of the state of Manipur in North-East India from March until July 1944. Japanese armies attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India, but were driven back into Burma with heavy losses...
. In December 1944 he and his fellow corps commanders Stopford and Christison
Philip Christison
General Sir Philip Christison, 4th Baronet GBE CB DSO MC was a British military commander of the Second World War.-Early life and career:...
were knighted and invested as 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...
by the viceroy Lord Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
at a ceremony at Imphal in front of the Scottish, Gurkha and Punjab regiments. Slim
William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....
was knighted and invested as KCB
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...
at the same occasion.
Scoones was subsequently appointed to Central Command in India, an Army-level HQ which was nevertheless essentially a rear-area and administrative command.
In 1947 he was briefly the last Military Secretary to the India Office
Military Secretary to the India Office
The Military Secretary to the India Office was responsible for the recruitment of British and other European nationals to the officer ranks of the Indian Army.-Military Secretaries to the India Office:The Military Secretaries were as follows:...
. Later in the year he became Principal Staff Officer at the Commonwealth Relations Office. Between 1947 to 1949 he was also Aide de camp to King George VI. From 1953 to 1957, he was High Commissioner to New Zealand.