Robert Sturges

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Robert Grice Sturges

Sturges (right) with Belgian Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot in April, 1944.
Nickname "Bob"
Born 1891
Died 1970
Exeter
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Marines
Years of service 1912-1946
Rank Lieutenant-General
Battles/wars

World War I

World War II

Awards Order of the British Empire
Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order

Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Grice Sturges KBE, CB, DSO (1891–1970) was an officer in the Royal Marines.

Military career

Sturges joined the Royal Navy in 1908.[1] Commissioned a sub-lieutenant on 15 May 1912,[2] he transferred to the Royal Marines as a lieutenant from the same date (confirmed on 19 December 1914)[1][3] He served in World War I, seeing action in the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Jutland, receiving promotion to captain on 30 January 1917.[4][5] He was officially transferred to the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 30 January 1917.[6]

Between the wars, he was promoted to major on 17 June 1929 and to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1936.[7][8] He was brevetted colonel and promoted to colonel on 3 April 1939 (seniority 31 December 1938).[9]

During World War II he was the commander of the British occupation of Iceland in May 1940. He was promoted to acting colonel commandant and temporary brigadier on 4 June[10] and was mentioned in despatches in July.[11] He was Commander of the British occupation of Madagascar in 1942.[1] He went on to be Commander of the Special Service Group (Commandos) in 1943.[1] He was described as "intrepid in action, ruddy in countenance, and forcefully bucolic in language".[12] He retired in 1946.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  2. ↑ London Gazette, 17 May 1912
  3. ↑ London Gazette, 22 December 1914
  4. ↑ Whitehead, p. 352.
  5. ↑ London Gazette, 6 March 1917
  6. ↑ London Gazette, 1 June 1920
  7. ↑ London Gazette, 26 July 1929
  8. ↑ London Gazette, 10 April 1936
  9. ↑ London Gazette, 7 April 1939
  10. ↑ London Gazette, 1 October 1940
  11. ↑ London Gazette, 5 July 1940
  12. ↑ Lockhart, p. 34.

    References

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