Bernard Paget

Sir Bernard Paget
Born (1887-09-15)15 September 1887
Oxford, Oxfordshire
Died 16 February 1961(1961-02-16) (aged 73)
Petersfield, Hampshire
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1907–1946
Rank General
Unit Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Commands held Middle East Command (1944–46)
21st Army Group (1943)
GHQ Home Forces (1941–44)
South-Eastern Command (1941)
18th Infantry Division (1939–40)
Staff College, Camberley (1938–39)
4th Quetta Infantry Brigade (1936–37)
Battles/wars First World War
Second World War
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches
Silver Medal of Military Valor (Italy)[1]
Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland)
Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold with Palm (Belgium)[2]
Croix de guerre with Palm (Belgium)[2]
Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)[3]
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of St. Olav (Norway)[4]
Relations Tony Paget (Son)
Other work Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Southampton (March 1960)[5]

General Sir Bernard Charles Tolver Paget, GCB, DSO, MC (15 September 1887 – 16 February 1961) was a senior British Army officer during the Second World War. He commanded the 21st Army Group from June to December 1943 and was Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) Middle East Command from January 1944 to October 1946.

Early life and military career

Paget was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son of the Right Reverend Francis Paget, second son of Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet,[6] and was educated at Shrewsbury School and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from 1905–1907. Paget was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in November 1907[7] and was promoted to lieutenant in 1910.

On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 he was appointed adjutant of the new 5th (Service) Battalion, composed mainly of volunteers for Kitchener's Army, with which he went to the Western Front in May 1915. The battalion was serving as part of the 42nd Brigade, itself part of the 14th (Light) Division. Paget was awarded the Military Cross in November 1915,[8] and the Distinguished Service Order in January 1918. He was four times mentioned in despatches and wounded five times during the war.

Between the wars

The war came to an end in November 1918 and, during the interwar period, he remained in the British Army. Having been made brevet major in 1917,[9] he was promoted to major in 1924 and brevet lieutenant colonel the following year. Paget was promoted to colonel in 1929 and became Commander of the depot at Cowley Barracks, Oxford in 1930. He was Chief Instructor at the Staff College, at Quetta, British India (now the Command and Staff College, Pakistan), from 1932–1934.[10] Paget commanded the 4th Quetta Infantry Brigade from 1936–1937.[10] He was promoted to major general in December 1937 and was Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley between 1938 and 1939.[10]

Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Paget and Anthony Eden, the Foreign Secretary, watch an exercise involving the 42nd Armoured Division near Malton, North Yorkshire, 29 September 1942. The tank in the foreground is a Crusader and to Paget's left is the GOC, Major General Miles Dempsey.
Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Paget, C-in-C Home Forces, inspecting a 3-inch mortar crew, 9 January 1943.

Second World War

In late November 1939, nearly three months after the outbreak of the Second World War, Paget took over as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 18th Infantry Division, a recently raised Territorial Army (TA) formation, relinquishing command in mid-May 1940.[10] In the acting rank of lieutenant general[11] he commanded British forces in the withdrawal at Åndalsnes in Norway[10] in 1940 during the Norwegian Campaign, and was subsequently appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[12] He was promoted to lieutenant general and made General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) South-Eastern Command in 1941.[10] He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the New Year's Honours' List at the end of the year.[13] He went on to be GOC of GHQ Home Forces in the acting rank of general[14] in December 1941. The rank of general was made permanent in July 1943. Paget commanded the 21st Army Group in the United Kingdom from June to December 1943 prior to General Sir Bernard Montgomery taking over.[10] In January 1944 he became Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) Middle East Command[10] until October 1946, when he retired from the army.[10] In December 1944 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the Polish government-in-exile.[15] In 1946 he was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.[16]

After the war Paget was Colonel of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from October 1946 to September 1955[17] and Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1949[18] to 1956.[19] He lived in Petersfield, Hampshire.

Family

He married Winifred Nora Paget on 7 February 1918 with whom he was to have two sons. His younger son, Lieutenant Tony Paget, died on 5 March 1945 from wounds received while serving with the 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 43rd) during the Battle of the Reichswald. He received the Distinguished Service Order for his gallantry during the battle.

General Sir Bernard Paget died on 16 February 1961.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 30096". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 May 1917. p. 5201.
  2. 1 2 "No. 37853". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 January 1947. p. 324.
  3. ↑ "No. 38018". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 July 1947. p. 3319.
  4. ↑ "No. 38240". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 March 1948. p. 1919.
  5. ↑ "No. 42001". The London Gazette. 5 April 1960. p. 2472.
  6. ↑ Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
  7. ↑ "No. 28079". The London Gazette. 12 November 1907. p. 7582.
  8. ↑ "No. 29371". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 November 1915. p. 11451.
  9. ↑ "No. 30111". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1917. p. 5466.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  11. ↑ "No. 34869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 June 1940. p. 3505.
  12. ↑ "No. 34893". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 July 1940. p. 4243.
  13. ↑ "No. 35399". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1941. p. 3.
  14. ↑ "No. 35397". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 December 1941. p. 7369.
  15. ↑ "No. 36828". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 December 1944. p. 5616.
  16. ↑ "No. 37407". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 4.
  17. ↑ "No. 40484". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 May 1955. p. 2994.
  18. ↑ "No. 38742". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 October 1949. p. 5065.
  19. ↑ "No. 40917". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 November 1956. p. 6249.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bernard Paget.
Military offices
Preceded by
Ronald Adam		 Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
1938–1939 		Succeeded by
Robert Collins
Preceded by
Thomas Dalby		 GOC 18th Infantry Division
1939–1940 		Succeeded by
Ralph Eastwood
New title GOC-in-C South-Eastern Command
February – December 1941 		Succeeded by
Sir Bernard Montgomery
Preceded by
Sir Alan Brooke		 C-in-C Home Forces
1941–1944 		Succeeded by
Sir Harold Frankyn
New title GOC-in-C 21st Army Group
June – December 1943 		Succeeded by
Sir Bernard Montgomery
Preceded by
Sir Henry Wilson		 C-in-C Middle East Command
1944–1946 		Post disbanded
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sir Clive Liddell		 Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea
1949–1956 		Succeeded by
Sir Cameron Nicholson
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