Colin Muir Barber
Encyclopedia
Sir Colin Muir Barber, KBE, CB
, DSO
and bar
(born Birkenhead
27 June 1897, died 5 May 1964), was a British General who commanded the 15th (Scottish) Division during their actions across north west Europe in World War II
. Barber was reputed to be the tallest officer in the British Army (at 6'9") and thus earned the ironic
nickname
, "Tiny".
. He was married twice, first, in 1929, to Mary Edith Nixon. The couple had a son and a daughter; Mary died in 1949. His second wife was Mrs Anthony Milburn.
, continuing to serve in France and Belgium until the end of World War I
.
Between 1919 and 1939, Barber served in India. He was mentioned in despatches in 1925 for service in Waziristan
and he attended the Staff College
in Quetta
in 1929 (from where he graduated with distinction). On his return to Britain, he had several staff appointments, mainly within the British Army's Scottish Command
. In 1936, after a brief posting to Palestine
, he was appointed to the General Staff
as a GSO2.
In 1940, he was with 51st (Highland) Division of the British Expeditionary Force
(BEF) in France, winning his first DSO
and mentioned in despatches. From March, 1941 Barber returned to the General Staff as a GSO1, until taking command, in October, of the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade. From August, 1944 Barber, as an acting Major-General, commanded the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division for the remainder of the campaign in north-west Europe. In this campaign, the 15th Division had the distinction to lead the three great river crossings of the Seine
, the Rhine
and the Elbe
and Barber was awarded the bar to his DSO.
Barbour commanded Highland District (Scottish Command) between 1946 and 1949 when he became Director of Infantry & Military Training, War Office
. Barber was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 27 February 1952 and made General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief of Scottish Command
and Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He retired on 28 March 1955.
Colin Muir Barber died on 5 May 1964. A memorial service
was held at Canongate Kirk (The Kirk of Holyroodhouse) on 22 May 1964. There is a memorial plaque for Lieutenant General Sir Colin Muir Barber, as a commander in the 15th Scottish Infantry Division that liberated Tourville
in June 1944.
, redeploying some municipalities along the northern border between the Soviet and British zone of Allied-occupied Germany. Thus some eastern suburbs of Ratzeburg
, such as Ziethen in Lauenburg
, Mechow
, Bäk
and Römnitz
became part of the Duchy of Lauenburg District (British zone), while the Lauenburgian municipalities of Dechow
, Groß and Klein Thurow (now component parts of Roggendorf
) as well as Lassahn (now a component part of Zarrentin am Schaalsee) were ceded to the adjacent Mecklenburgian district (Soviet zone). The redeployment was accomplished on November 26, the respective occupational forces had to withdraw until November 28 to their new zonal territory. The British occupational forces provided all the inhabitants of villages to be ceded to the Soviet zone to be evacuated, if they wished so, including all their chattels by vehicles provided by the British forces. All displaced people (usually formerly forced labourers under the prior Nazi rule) in these villages and other eventual foreigners - except of Soviet citizens among them - were obligatorily to be relocated, while Soviet displaced people would have to stay.
Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) 5 July 1945
Distinguished Service Order
11 July 1940, 19 October 1944
Mentioned in Despatches 13 March 1925, 20 December 1940, 22 March 1945, 10 May 1945, 8 November 1945
Commander of the Order of the Crown
(Belgium) 9 October 1945
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(born Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
27 June 1897, died 5 May 1964), was a British General who commanded the 15th (Scottish) Division during their actions across north west Europe in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Barber was reputed to be the tallest officer in the British Army (at 6'9") and thus earned the ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, "Tiny".
Private life
Barber was educated at Uppingham SchoolUppingham School
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
. He was married twice, first, in 1929, to Mary Edith Nixon. The couple had a son and a daughter; Mary died in 1949. His second wife was Mrs Anthony Milburn.
Military career
Colin Muir Barber was mobilised in 1916 and served with the Liverpool Scottish in France and Belgium. In March 1918, he was commissioned into the 1st Battalion, Cameron HighlandersCameron Highlanders
Cameron Highlanders may mean:* The Highlanders , infantry regiment in the Scottish Division of the British Army* The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces...
, continuing to serve in France and Belgium until the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Between 1919 and 1939, Barber served in India. He was mentioned in despatches in 1925 for service in Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
and he attended the Staff College
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
in Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in 1929 (from where he graduated with distinction). On his return to Britain, he had several staff appointments, mainly within the British Army's Scottish Command
Scottish Command
-History:The Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in the early 1950s.Since 1936 the General Officer Commanding Scottish Command has also always been appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle....
. In 1936, after a brief posting to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, he was appointed to the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
as a GSO2.
In 1940, he was with 51st (Highland) Division of the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
(BEF) in France, winning his first DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and mentioned in despatches. From March, 1941 Barber returned to the General Staff as a GSO1, until taking command, in October, of the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade. From August, 1944 Barber, as an acting Major-General, commanded the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division for the remainder of the campaign in north-west Europe. In this campaign, the 15th Division had the distinction to lead the three great river crossings of the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
, the Rhine
Operation Plunder
Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
and the Elbe
Operation Enterprise
Operation Enterprise is a high school and college student program sponsored by the American Management Association.Established in 1963, OE is a leadership training and career development program held on college campuses around the country, typically during June and July. It is designed to teach...
and Barber was awarded the bar to his DSO.
Barbour commanded Highland District (Scottish Command) between 1946 and 1949 when he became Director of Infantry & Military Training, War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. Barber was promoted to Lieutenant-General on 27 February 1952 and made General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief of Scottish Command
Scottish Command
-History:The Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in the early 1950s.Since 1936 the General Officer Commanding Scottish Command has also always been appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle....
and Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He retired on 28 March 1955.
Colin Muir Barber died on 5 May 1964. A memorial service
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
was held at Canongate Kirk (The Kirk of Holyroodhouse) on 22 May 1964. There is a memorial plaque for Lieutenant General Sir Colin Muir Barber, as a commander in the 15th Scottish Infantry Division that liberated Tourville
Tourville-sur-Odon
-References:*...
in June 1944.
Barber Lyashchenko Agreement
On November 13, 1945 Barber and the Soviet general major Nikolay Grigoryevich Lyashchenko signed the Barber Lyashchenko Agreement in GadebuschGadebusch
Gadebusch is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the district Nordwestmecklenburg, half-way between Lübeck and Schwerin.The town is known for two notable monuments: the Stadtkirche , built in 1220, considered the oldest brick church in Mecklenburg, and the Schloss , built in 1580-1583...
, redeploying some municipalities along the northern border between the Soviet and British zone of Allied-occupied Germany. Thus some eastern suburbs of Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, such as Ziethen in Lauenburg
Ziethen, Schleswig-Holstein
Ziethen is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
, Mechow
Mechow
Mechow is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
, Bäk
Bäk
Bäk is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
and Römnitz
Römnitz
Römnitz is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
became part of the Duchy of Lauenburg District (British zone), while the Lauenburgian municipalities of Dechow
Dechow
Dechow is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
, Groß and Klein Thurow (now component parts of Roggendorf
Roggendorf
Roggendorf is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
) as well as Lassahn (now a component part of Zarrentin am Schaalsee) were ceded to the adjacent Mecklenburgian district (Soviet zone). The redeployment was accomplished on November 26, the respective occupational forces had to withdraw until November 28 to their new zonal territory. The British occupational forces provided all the inhabitants of villages to be ceded to the Soviet zone to be evacuated, if they wished so, including all their chattels by vehicles provided by the British forces. All displaced people (usually formerly forced labourers under the prior Nazi rule) in these villages and other eventual foreigners - except of Soviet citizens among them - were obligatorily to be relocated, while Soviet displaced people would have to stay.
Honours and awards
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire 1952Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) 5 July 1945
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
11 July 1940, 19 October 1944
Mentioned in Despatches 13 March 1925, 20 December 1940, 22 March 1945, 10 May 1945, 8 November 1945
Commander of the Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
(Belgium) 9 October 1945