| Sir Colville Wemyss | |
|---|---|
General Sir Colville Wemyss |
|
| Born | April 26, 1891 |
| Died | 1959 (aged 67–68) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross |
General Sir Henry Colville Barclay Wemyss KCB KBE DSO MC (1891–1959) was Adjutant-General to the Forces.
Colville Wemyss was son of Alexander Wemyss. He was commissioned in the Royal Engineers in 1910. He served in the First World War, being awarded the DSO and MC. In 1920 he transferred to the newly formed Royal Corps of Signals. In 1926 he became a General Staff Officer at the War Office[1] and then in 1929 he was appointed an Instructor at the School of Signals at Catterick.[1] He left the School of Signals in 1932 to become a General Staff Officer at Northern Command at York.[1]
On October 1, 1935, he was promoted Colonel and appointed an Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office in London.[1] He was a student at the Imperial Defence College between January 18, 1938 on January 1939. On completing the course, he was promoted Major General and appointed as the Director of Mobilisation at the War Office on January 9, 1939.[1] On February 19, 1940, he transferred to the post of Deputy Adjutant General to the Forces at the War Office.
On June 10, 1940, he replaced General Robert Gordon-Finlayson as Adjutant-General to the Forces.[1] He was promoted Acting Lieutenant General on assuming the role. The increasing importance of the role of the United States in the Second World War led to United Kingdom government establishing a military mission to Washington, D.C. and on June 3, 1941 Wemyss was appointed the Head of the British Army Mission to Washington.[1] In January 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to replace Wemyss in Washington with General Sir Sir John Dill[2] so Wemyss returned to the United Kingdom. Wemyss was appointed Military Secretary to the Secretary of State for War on June 16, 1942.[1] Wemyss was to remain in this key post for the rest of the war. He was promoted General on October 15, 1945 and retired from Army service on November 23, 1946.[1]
Wemys was awarded the CB on July 11, 1940 and the KCB on June 14, 1945. He was also awarded the KBE on July 1, 1941.
In recognition of his links to the United States, on July 23, 1948, he was also awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson |
Adjutant General 1940–1941 |
Succeeded by Sir Ronald Adam |
| Preceded by Arthur Floyer-Acland |
Military Secretary 1942–1946 |
Succeeded by Sir Frederick Browning |