Eric Girdwood

Eric Girdwood
Born 14 October 1876
Strandtown, Belfast, Ireland
Died 24 May 1963 (aged 86)
Towcester, Northamptonshire, England
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1899-1935
Rank Major-General
Commands held 156th Infantry Brigade
74th (Yeomanry) Division
9th Infantry Brigade
3rd Division
Iraq
Bombay
RMC Sandhurst
Northern Ireland District
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George

Major General Sir Eric Stanley Girdwood KBE CB CMG (1876–1963) was a British military officer who served as General Officer Commanding the Northern Ireland District from 1931 to 1935.

Military career

Educated at the Belfast Royal Academy,[1] Girdwood was commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1899.[2] He served in the Second Boer War.[2]

He also served in World War I, having been appointed a Brigade Major with the 156th Infantry Brigade (The Scottish Rifle Brigade) in 1911.[2] He fought with his regiment at Gallipoli, becoming Commander of the 156th Infantry Brigade in Egypt and Palestine in 1916.[2] He was made General Officer Commanding 74th (Yeomanry) Division in Palestine and France later that year.[2]

After the War he was appointed Commander 9th Infantry Brigade and then GOC 3rd Division in 1919.[2] He was made Commander of Military Forces in Iraq in 1924 and GOC Bombay District of India in 1926.[2] He was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1927 and GOC Northern Ireland District in 1931; he retired in 1935.[2]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Charles Corkran
Commandant of the Royal Military College Sandhurst
19271930
Succeeded by
Reginald May
Preceded by
Arthur Wauchope
General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland
19311935
Succeeded by
James Cooke-Collis