Edward Beck (British Army officer)

Edward Beck
Born	1880
Died	1974
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1900–1945
Rank	Major-General
Unit	Royal Scots Fusiliers
Commands held	2nd Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry 2nd Infantry Brigade 9th (Highland) Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Second Boer War World War I World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Order

Major General Edward Archibald Beck DSO (1880–1974) was a senior British Army officer who commanded the 9th (Highland) Infantry Division during World War II.

Military career

Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,^[1] Beck was commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1900.^[2] He took part in the Second Boer War and was then seconded to the Egyptian Army in 1909 before serving in the First World War,^[2] during which he was six times mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.^[1] He was appointed Chief Instructor at the Small Arms School at Hythe in 1925, Commander of the 2nd Battalion the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry in 1929, and Instructor at the Senior Officers' School at Sheerness in 1932.^[2] He went on to be a staff officer with Scottish Command in 1933, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Aldershot Command in 1935 and Director of Personal Services at the War Office in 1938.^[2] He served in the Second World War as Commander of the 9th (Highland) Division before retiring from the regular army in 1940, ^[2] continuing his war service with the Perthshire Home Guard until the end of the War.^[2]

References