| Sir Bernard Paget | |
|---|---|
General Sir Bernard Paget |
|
| Born | 15 September 1887 |
| Died | 16 February 1961 (aged 73) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | 4th Quetta Infantry Brigade Staff College, Camberley 18th Infantry Division South-Eastern Command GHQ Home Forces 21st Army Group Middle East Command |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | GCB (1 Jan 1946)[1] KCB (1 Jan 1942) CB (11 July 1940)[2] DSO MC (18 Nov 1915)[3] Legion of Merit Grand Commander (USA) (18 July 1947)[4] The Silver Medal for Military Valour (Italy) (26 May 1917)[5] Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (7 December 1944) Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold with Palm (Belgium) (16 Jan 1947)[6] Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm (Belgium) (16 Jan 1947)[6] Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St Olav (Norway) (19 Mar 1948)[7] |
| Other work | Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Southampton (March 1960)[8] |
General Sir Bernard Charles Tolver Paget GCB, DSO, MC (15 September 1887 – 16 February 1961) was a British officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars.
Paget was born in Oxford, the son of the Right Reverend Francis Paget, second son of Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet,[9] and was educated at Shrewsbury School and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from 1905 to 1907. He was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in November 1907[10] and was promoted to lieutenant in 1910. On the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed adjutant of the new 5th (Service) Battalion with which he went to France in May 1915. He was awarded the Military Cross in November 1915 and the Distinguished Service Order in January 1918. He was four times mentioned in dispatches. Having been made brevet major in 1917,[11] he was promoted to major in 1924 and brevet lieutenant-colonel in 1925. He was promoted to colonel in 1929 and became Commander of the depot at Cowley Barracks, Oxford in 1930. He was Chief Instructor at the Staff College, at Quetta, India, from 1932 to 1934.[12] Paget commanded the 4th Quetta Infantry Brigade from 1936 to 1937.[12] He was promoted to major-general in December 1937 and was Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley between 1938 and 1939.[12]
In November 1939 Paget took over command of the 18th Infantry Division until 1940.[12] In the acting rank of lieutenant-general[13] he commanded British forces in the withdrawal at Åndalsnes in Norway[12] in 1940 during the Norwegian campaign. He was promoted to lieutenant general and made General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South-Eastern Command in 1941.[12] He was knighted (KCB) at the end of the year.[14] He went on to be GOC of GHQ Home Forces in the acting rank of general[15] in December 1941. The rank of general was made permanent in July 1943. He commanded 21st Army Group prior to Bernard Montgomery taking over.[12] In January 1944 he became Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command[12] until October 1946, when he retired from the army.[12] In December 1944 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the Polish government.[16]
He was Colonel Commandant of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from October 1946 to September 1955[17] and Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1949[18] to 1956.[19] He died in 1961 at his home in Petersfield, Hampshire.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ronald Adam |
Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley 1938–1939 |
Succeeded by Robert Collins |
| Preceded by New Post |
GOC-in-C South-Eastern Command 1941 |
Succeeded by Sir Bernard Montgomery |
| Preceded by Sir Maitland Wilson |
C-in-C Middle East Command January 1944–October 1946 |
Succeeded by Post Disbanded |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Clive Liddell |
Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea 1949–1956 |
Succeeded by Sir Cameron Nicholson |