| Charles Hamilton Boucher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1898 |
| Died | 1951 (aged 52 or 53) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Indian Army |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | 10th Indian Infantry Brigade 1942) 17th Indian Infantry Brigade 1944 to 1945)) Indian 4th Infantry Division (1945) Indian 2nd Airborne Division (1946 to 1947) Malaya Command (1948 to 1950) |
| Battles/wars | Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia Western Desert Campaign Italian Campaign |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1949)[1] Companion of the Order of the Bath (1945)[2] Distinguished Service Order (1936)[3] Bar to the DSO (1945)[4] |
Major-General Sir Charles Boucher KBE CB DSO and bar (1898–1951) was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II.
Boucher was commissioned into the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) in 1916.[5]
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1917[6] and subsequently transferred to the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles.[3] He was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1938.[7]
He served in World War II, initially as a General Staff Officer,[7] before being made a Brigadier on the General Staff of Paiforce in Iraq in 1941.[7]
In 1942 he was appointed Commander of 10th Indian Infantry Brigade in North Africa. Whilst commanding Indian 10th Infantry Brigade he was captured on 6 June 1942 during the fighting in the Knightsbridge Cauldron when his headquarters were overrun. He was held as a POW in Italy[7] until the Italian Armistice with Italy in 1943[7] when he made his way back to the Allied lines in southern Italy.
In February 1944 he assumed command of 17th Infantry Brigade,[7] leading them through the final Battle of Monte Cassino, the advance north of Rome and the fighting on the Gothic Line.
In January 1945 Boucher took command of Indian 4th Infantry Division[7] which had been sent to Greece in November 1944 to help stabilise the country after the Axis withdrawal.
In 1946 he became General Officer Commanding Indian 2nd Airborne Division[7] and in 1948 he became General Officer Commanding Malaya District[7] as well as Major-General Commanding the Brigade of Gurkhas in Malaya.[7] He retired in 1950.[7]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ashton Wade |
GOC Malaya District 1948–1950 |
Succeeded by Roy Urquhart |