George Giffard

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General Sir George Giffard GCB DSO (1886 - 1964) was a British military officer, who had a distinguished career in command of African troops in World War I, rising to command an Army Group in South East Asia in World War II.

1 Early career
2 World War I
3 Between the Wars
4 World War II
5 Other Appointments
6 Miscellaneous
7 See also

[edit] Early career

After attending Rugby School and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment in 1905. In 1913, while serving with its 1st Battalion, he saw action in East Africa. He transferred into a unit of the King's African Rifles.

[edit] World War I

His unit saw extensive service in the campaign against the German forces under von Lettow-Vorbeck. He rose to command a column of two battalions of the KAR, "Gifcol". Although von Lettow-Vorbeck's forces were never rounded up, Gifcol was nevertheless the most effective unit involved in the efforts to pursue and hound them. He was wounded, awarded the DSO and was mentioned in despatches four times.

[edit] Between the Wars

1919 - 1920 Attended Staff College, Camberley
1920 - 1927 West African Frontier Force
1927 - 1928 Shanghai Expeditionary Force (as 2ic 1st/Queen's Royal Surrey)
1928 - 1931 Instructor at Staff College, Camberley
1931 - 1932 Commanding Officer 2nd/Queens Royal Surrey, Aldershot
1933 - 1936 General Staff Officer 1, British 2nd Division
1936 - 1938 Inspector-General of West African Frontier Force
1938 - 1939 Inspector-General of African Colonial Forces

[edit] World War II

1939 - 1940 Military Secretary, War Office
1940 General Officer Commanding Palestine & Trans-Jordan
1940 - 1941 General Officer Commanding West Africa
1941 - 1942 Commander-in-Chief West Africa Command. While the Mediterranean was barred to British shipping by German and Italian naval and air force units, West Africa was an important link in Allied lines of communication to the Middle East and Far East. In addition to organising the logistic infrastructure, Giffard's major achievement was the reorganisation of the units of the Royal West African Frontier Force into two field infantry divisions, capable of serving as independent forces in rough terrain. (Initially, this was in response to a potential threat from Vichy French forces in Senegal and Niger. Later, these two divisions, West African 81st Division and West African 82nd Division served with distinction in the Burma Campaign.)
1942 - 1943 General Officer Commanding Eastern Army, India. This army faced the Japanese in Burma. Several sources, notably Field Marshal Slim, testified to his contribution to the improvement in morale and effectiveness in Eastern Army during this period.
1943 - 1944 Commander-in-Chief 11th Army Group, Burma. His period of command here was less happy, mainly because of difficulties with the US General Joseph Stilwell. The two men disliked each other, and Stilwell held so many appointments that any working arrangement had to be an awkward compromise. Nevertheless, this period was marked by the victories in the Arakan, and at Imphal and Kohima, to which Giffard contributed greatly. Late in 1944, 11th Army Group was replaced by the Allied HQ, ALFSEA and Giffard was replaced by General Oliver Leese.
1943 - 1946 Aide-de-Camp General to the King
1946 Retired

[edit] Other Appointments

In 1945, he was made Colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment. He was also Colonel Commandant of the Royal West African Frontier Force and of the King's African Rifles.

[edit] Miscellaneous

His legacy in Britain's West African possessions was the pride the people felt in the contribution and fighting record of the two West African divisions which he formed, and which fought on an equal basis with British and Indian divisions. This contributed to the growth of national feeling, which in turn played its part in the achievement of Independence in those countries.