Frank Simpson (British Army officer)

Sir Frank Simpson
Born	1899
Died	1986
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	General
Commands held	Western Command
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order

General Sir Frank Ernest Wallace Simpson GBE KCB DSO (1899–1986) was a British Army General during the 1940s.

Military career

Educated at Bishop Cotton Boys' School,^[1] Frank Simpson was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1916.^[2] He served in World War I in France and Belgium in 1918 and then after the War went to Afghanistan and the North West Frontier of India.^[2]

He also served in World War II initially in France and Belgium with the British Expeditionary Force and was involved in the defence of Arras and then the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.^[2] He became Chief of Staff to General Bernard Law Montgomery in 1940 and then Deputy Director of Military Operations at the War Office in 1942 being promoted to Director of Military Operations in 1943.^[2]

After the War he became Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff for Operations in 1945 and then Vice Chief of Imperial General Staff in 1946.^[2] In this role he fought cut-backs in the size of the Army.^[3]

In 1948 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command and in 1952 he became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College: he retired in 1954.^[2]

Retirement

In retirement he became an advisor to the West Africa Committee, a body formed to promote British business interests in West Africa.^[4] He was Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1961^[5] to 1969.^[6]

References

^ Bishop Cotton Boys' School Alumni
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
^ Big wars and small wars: the British army and the lessons of war in the 20th Century By Hew Strachan, Page 69 Routledge, 2006, ISBN 978-0415545044
^ The business of decolonization: British business strategies in the Gold Coast By S. E. Stockwell, Page 132 Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0198208488
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 42366. p. 3987. 26 May 1961. Retrieved 2010-01-30.
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44885. p. 6782. 1 July 1969. Retrieved 2010-01-30.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Archibald Nye	Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1946–1948	Succeeded by Sir Gerald Templer
Preceded by Sir Brian Horrocks	GOC-in-C Western Command 1948–1951	Succeeded by Sir Cameron Nicholson
Preceded by Sir Charles Daniel	Commandant of the Imperial Defence College 1952–1954	Succeeded by Sir Arthur Sanders
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Kenneth Crawford	Chief Royal Engineer 1961–1967	Succeeded by Sir Charles Jones
Preceded by Sir Cameron Nicholson	Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea 1961–1969	Succeeded by Sir Charles Jones

Persondata
Name	Simpson, Frank
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1899
Place of birth
Date of death	1986
Place of death