John George Walters Clark

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John George Walters Clark
2 May 1892 - 16 May 1948
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Acting Lieutenant-General
Commands held 16th/5th Lancers (1933 to 1936)
12th Infantry Brigade (1938 to 1939)
1st Cavalry Division (31 Oct 1939 to 1941
10th Armoured Division (1941 to 31 Jul 1942)
Battles/wars Anglo-Iraqi War
Syria-Lebanon campaign
Awards CB (Dec 1941)
MC (Jun 1917)
MID (Apr 1941, Sep 1943, Aug 1945)
Legion of Merit (1947)

John George Walters Clark CB, MC (born 1892; died 1948) was a British army officer in both World War I and World War II.

Clark was commissioned into the 16th The Queen's Lancers in 1911 and fought with them during World War I. In 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross. The citation for this award, which was published in the London Gazette, stated:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When all communication with the forward units of the division had broken down during an engagement, he established communication over unknown ground and enabled control to be maintained. On another occasion, when both flanks of the division had been turned and the situation was very obscure, he went forward with orders to the advanced troops. Later, he was largely responsible for a successful withdrawal bein carried out in good order. He showed great initiative and resource.

—London Gazette, 22 June 1918[1]

Between October 1939 and July 1942, Clark commanded 1st Cavalry Division (re-designated 10th Armoured Division in 1941) based in British Mandate of Palestine (Palestine and Trans-Jordan).

In May 1941, Clark formed and commanded Habforce (which when in Iraq became part of Iraqforce) which crossed the desert from Trans-Jordan to relieve RAF Habbaniya during the Anglo-Iraqi War. When Kingcol, the advanced column, arrived the airfield garrison had already forced the threatening Iraqi force to retire. With the arrival of Kingcol the garrison drove on to capture Falluja and Kingcol then exploited this to advance on Baghdad, arriving on 29 May. The Iraq government capitulated two days later.[2]

Habforce was also involved in the Syria-Lebanon campaign advancing from eastern Iraq to capture Palmyra on 3 July to secure the Haditha - Palmyra oil pipeline.[2]

In August 1941 the 1st Cavalry Division was reorganised as 10th Armoured Division. Clark remained in command until April 1942 so missing the division's active service at Alam Halfa and Second battle of El Alamein.[2]

Clark was appointed acting Lieutenant-General in January 1944 and retired from the army in 1946 with the substantive rank of Major-General. Clark was awarded the United States Legion of Merit (Order of Commander) in 1947.

Contents

[edit] Army Career

  • Commissioned into 16th The Queen's Lancers - 1911
  • Instructor at Staff College Camberley - 1929 - 1932
  • Commanding Officer 16th/5th Lancers - 1933 - 1936
  • General Staff Officer 1 War Office - 1937 - 1938
  • Commanding Officer 12th Infantry Brigade, France - 1938 - 1939
  • General Officer Commanding 1st Cavalry Division, Middle East - 1939 - 1941
  • General Officer Commanding 10th Armoured Division, Middle East - 1941 - 1942
  • General Officer Commanding Lines of Communications Allied Forces Headquarters, Tunisia- 1942 - 1943
  • Deputy Governor of Sicily - 1943
  • Major-General Administration GHQ Middle East Command - 1943
  • Chief Administrative Officer Allied Forces Headquarters - 1944
  • Head Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Mission to Netherlands - 1945
  • Head British Economic Mission to Greece - 1945 - 1947
  • Retired - 1946

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30761, page 7397, 22 June 1918.
  2. ^ a b c Mead, p. 101


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