David House
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir David George House GCB
, KCVO
, CBE
, MC
(born 8 August 1922) was a British Army
officer who was General Officer Commanding
in Northern Ireland
during the Troubles
, and later held the office of Black Rod
.
on 23 August 1941. He served in the Italian Campaign
, where he won the Military Cross in 1944. In 1947, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and to Captain in 1949.
He was made OBE on 1 January 1964.
He commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd & 52nd) at Penang between 1964 and 1965, and was mentioned in despatches in June 1965. He was promoted to Colonel on 3 November 1965.
, then from 1969 to 1971 he was Deputy Military Secretary, and from 1971 to 1973 Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine
.
He was promoted to Major-General on 9 June 1971. He left the post of Chief of Staff on 13 August 1973. He was appointed Director of Infantry on 21 September 1973, and left the post on 27 May 1975. He was made KCB on 14 June 1975.
He succeeded Sir Frank King
as GOC Northern Ireland on 1 August 1975, and was concurrently promoted to Lieutenant-General. His time in command was marked by the ending of a Provisional IRA ceasefire in January 1976, and a resulting upsurge of violence. He was replaced by Timothy Creasey
on 1 November 1977. He was made GCB on 11 June 1977.
He was Colonel-Commandant of the Light Division from 1974 until 1 November 1977, and of the Small Arms School Corps from 1974 until 1 September 1977.
House retired from active service on 30 December 1977. In 1978 he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, a ceremonial post in the House of Lords
, an office which he held until 1985.
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...
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(born 8 August 1922) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who was 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 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, and later held the office of Black Rod
Black Rod
The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of several Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
.
Regimental career
He was educated at Regent's Park School in London, and on leaving school entered the Army. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle CorpsKing's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
on 23 August 1941. He served in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, where he won the Military Cross in 1944. In 1947, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and to Captain in 1949.
He was made OBE on 1 January 1964.
He commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd & 52nd) at Penang between 1964 and 1965, and was mentioned in despatches in June 1965. He was promoted to Colonel on 3 November 1965.
Senior command
From 1965 to 1967 he commanded 51st Gurkha Brigade in Borneo, during the Indonesian Confrontation; he was promoted to Brigadier on 31 December 1966. From 1967 to 1969 he was chief of BRIXMISBRIXMIS
The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany was set up on 16 September 1946 under the Robertson-Malinin Agreement between the chiefs of staff of the British and Soviet forces in occupied Germany....
, then from 1969 to 1971 he was Deputy Military Secretary, and from 1971 to 1973 Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
.
He was promoted to Major-General on 9 June 1971. He left the post of Chief of Staff on 13 August 1973. He was appointed Director of Infantry on 21 September 1973, and left the post on 27 May 1975. He was made KCB on 14 June 1975.
He succeeded Sir Frank King
Frank King (British Army officer)
General Sir Frank Douglas King GCB MBE was a British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding of the British Army in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles...
as GOC Northern Ireland on 1 August 1975, and was concurrently promoted to Lieutenant-General. His time in command was marked by the ending of a Provisional IRA ceasefire in January 1976, and a resulting upsurge of violence. He was replaced by Timothy Creasey
Timothy Creasey
General Sir Timothy May Creasey KCB OBE was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding of the British Army in Northern Ireland, as well as the commander of the Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces....
on 1 November 1977. He was made GCB on 11 June 1977.
He was Colonel-Commandant of the Light Division from 1974 until 1 November 1977, and of the Small Arms School Corps from 1974 until 1 September 1977.
House retired from active service on 30 December 1977. In 1978 he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, a ceremonial post in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, an office which he held until 1985.