Thomas Alexander Irvine
Encyclopedia
Colonel Thomas Alexander Irvine DSO
TD DL
was a Scottish career soldier and former Commander of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
, leading the capture of Mandalay
, Burma, during World War II
.
Born into the family of the iron and steel merchants Irvine Brothers of Glasgow, Thomas Alexander Irvine of Motherwell
, Scotland, was educated at the Hamilton Academy
.
May 1935 - promoted to Lieutenant
June 1937 - promoted to Captain
September 1939 – promoted to Major, and second-in-command of the 10th Cameronians
October 1942 – August 1945 - held the rank of T/Lieutenant-Colonel
February 1945 - took command of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
at Legyi
, Burma
May 1945 - awarded the DSO
for his part in the crossing of the Irrawaddy River and capture of Mandalay
.
March 1946 - awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (and 1st Clasp in 1951)
April 1946 – appointed Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
May 1947 – granted substantive rank for Lieutenant-Colonel
1948 – transferred from the active duty list to the TA officers' reserve list and appointed commandant of the county cadets; thereafter chairman of T.A.F.A. (Territorial and Aux. Forces' Association) in Lanarkshire
, Scotland.
December 1950 – appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of the County of Lanark
August 1962 - granted the rank of Honorary Colonel on the 22 August 1962 on retiring from the Army
Colonel Thomas Alexander Irvine died at Symington
, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on 5 May 1963.
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...
TD 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....
was a Scottish career soldier and former Commander of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
Worcestershire Regiment
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th Regiment of Foot and the 36th Regiment of Foot....
, leading the capture of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, Burma, 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...
.
Born into the family of the iron and steel merchants Irvine Brothers of Glasgow, Thomas Alexander Irvine of Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
, Scotland, was educated at the Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy was a school situated in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.Described as "one of the finest schools in Scotland" in the Cambridge University Press County Biography of 1910, Hamilton Academy featured in the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association Magazine article series on...
.
Career
May 1932 - commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Territorial Army, joining the 6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion, the Cameronians as a 2nd LieutenantMay 1935 - promoted to Lieutenant
June 1937 - promoted to Captain
September 1939 – promoted to Major, and second-in-command of the 10th Cameronians
October 1942 – August 1945 - held the rank of T/Lieutenant-Colonel
February 1945 - took command of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
Worcestershire Regiment
The Worcestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 29th Regiment of Foot and the 36th Regiment of Foot....
at Legyi
Legyi
Legyi may refer to several places in Burma:*Legyi, Kale*Legyi, Myinmu*Legyi, Mogok, in Mogok Township...
, Burma
May 1945 - awarded the 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...
for his part in the crossing of the Irrawaddy River and capture of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
.
March 1946 - awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (and 1st Clasp in 1951)
April 1946 – appointed Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
May 1947 – granted substantive rank for Lieutenant-Colonel
1948 – transferred from the active duty list to the TA officers' reserve list and appointed commandant of the county cadets; thereafter chairman of T.A.F.A. (Territorial and Aux. Forces' Association) in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland.
December 1950 – appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
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....
of the County of Lanark
August 1962 - granted the rank of Honorary Colonel on the 22 August 1962 on retiring from the 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...
Colonel Thomas Alexander Irvine died at Symington
Symington
-People:*J. Fife Symington Jr. , American diplomat*Fife Symington III , American politician; Governor of Arizona*Gaye Symington , American politician, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives...
, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on 5 May 1963.