Hugo Ironside
Encyclopedia
Hugo Craster Wakeford Ironside OBE (1918 – 2008) was an Army Officer who during World War II tunnelled out of a Prisoner of War camp and later helped construct a glider, known as the 'Colditz Cock
'.
, Northamptonshire
, and educated at St Edward's School, Oxford. He was offered a place at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
, but was warned that, if he joined the RAF, he would probably be dead within two years. Instead, Ironside won a cadetship to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
and was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
in 1938.
Ironside, landed at Calais
with the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
(3RTR) on 20 May 1940 in the final phase of the battle for the port. Five days later, 3RTR was out of ammunition and petrol. The order was given "Every man for himself". Ironside and his platoon started marching along the beach towards Dunkirk. They were captured in the early hours of the morning. During the next two weeks, the men were force-marched to Trier
, approximately 300 miles away. Food was so scarce for the men that they had to break away from the main group and risk being shot by the guards in order to scrounge food.
From Trier, Ironside was moved between Oflag VII-C Laufen
(Germany), Stalag XXI-D Poznań
(Poland
), Oflag V-B Biberach
and Oflag VI-B Doessel-Warburg
Prisoner of War
camps before being sent to Oflag VII-B
at Eichstätt
, Bavaria
. There he helped to work on a tunnel which started in a lavatory in one of the brick blocks. This was used for an escape of over 50 men, who were recaptured and sent to Oflag IV-C, Colditz.
Ironside was promoted to Captain
in 1946, and Major in 1951.
In 1955 Ironside was awarded the OBE
.
Promoted to Brevet
Lieutenant Colonel
1957 and full Lieutenant Colonel in Aug 1958, Ironside took command of the 8th Royal Tank Regiment
(8RTR) in Fallingbostel, BAOR
. He was subsequently responsible for the amalgamation of 8RTR and 5RTR
in 1959.
Promoted to Colonel
in 1962 on General Staff RAC
at the War Office
. In December 1966 he was promoted to Brigadier RAC HQ Western Command, then Brigadier at the MoD
, at the end of which he retired from the Army in April 1968.
in 1945 and they had a son and daughter.
His first marriage was dissolved and he remarried Carolyn John in 1977. Following her death, Ironside remarried again, to Janet N. O'Gorman, in 2001.
Following retirement, he managed a yacht marina in Dorset and then ran an investment company. From 1972 to 1982 he worked at the Central Office of Information
. He enjoyed golf
, flying kites
, and dismantling cars.
Hugo Ironside died 3 October 2008, aged 90.
Colditz Cock
|-See also:-External links:*****...
'.
Background
Hugo Ironside was born in ThrapstonThrapston
Thrapston is a small town in Northamptonshire, England. It is the headquarters of the East Northamptonshire district, and in 2001 had a population of 4,855. By 2006, this was estimated to be over 5,700....
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and educated at St Edward's School, Oxford. He was offered a place at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
, but was warned that, if he joined the RAF, he would probably be dead within two years. Instead, Ironside won a cadetship to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
in 1938.
World War II
Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Ironside, landed at Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
with the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917....
(3RTR) on 20 May 1940 in the final phase of the battle for the port. Five days later, 3RTR was out of ammunition and petrol. The order was given "Every man for himself". Ironside and his platoon started marching along the beach towards Dunkirk. They were captured in the early hours of the morning. During the next two weeks, the men were force-marched to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, approximately 300 miles away. Food was so scarce for the men that they had to break away from the main group and risk being shot by the guards in order to scrounge food.
From Trier, Ironside was moved between Oflag VII-C Laufen
Oflag VII-C
Oflag VII-C was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers located in Laufen Castle in south-eastern Bavaria from 1940 to 1942. Most of the prisoners were British officers captured during the Battle of France in 1940. To relieve overcrowding, some of the officers were transferred to...
(Germany), Stalag XXI-D Poznań
Stalag XXI-D
Stalag XXI-D was a German World War II PoW Camp based in Poznań , Poland.- Description :Following the invasion of Poland in 1939 and the establishment of the Reichsgau Wartheland, Poznań became the administrative centre of 'Wehrkreis XXI' . Some of Poznań's eighteenth century forts were used as...
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), Oflag V-B Biberach
Oflag V-B
Oflag V-B Biberach, was a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp for officers located in Biberach in south-eastern Baden-Württemberg from 1940 to 1942. Most of the prisoners were British officers captured in the Battle of France in 1940 or in Greece in June 1941...
and Oflag VI-B Doessel-Warburg
Oflag VI-B
Oflag VI-B Dössel was a World War II German POW camp for officers located SW of the small town Dössel in north-western Germany.- Timeline :In 1940 the camp was built on what had been originally intended to be an airfield...
Prisoner of War
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camps before being sent to Oflag VII-B
Oflag VII-B
Oflag VII-B was a World War II German POW camp for officers, located 1 km from Eichstätt, Bavaria.- Timeline :The camp was built in September 1939 to house Polish prisoners from the German September 1939 offensive...
at Eichstätt
Eichstätt
Eichstätt is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the District of Eichstätt. It is located along the Altmühl River, at , and had a population of 13,078 in 2002. It is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the lone Catholic university in Germany. The...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. There he helped to work on a tunnel which started in a lavatory in one of the brick blocks. This was used for an escape of over 50 men, who were recaptured and sent to Oflag IV-C, Colditz.
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location, was one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II; Oflag is a shortening of Offizierslager, meaning "officers camp"...
Later Military Service
After the war, Ironside continued his military career, alternating between staff and regimental appointments.Ironside was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1946, and Major in 1951.
In 1955 Ironside was awarded the OBE
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...
.
Promoted to Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
1957 and full Lieutenant Colonel in Aug 1958, Ironside took command of the 8th Royal Tank Regiment
8th Royal Tank Regiment
The 8th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1960. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as H Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917....
(8RTR) in Fallingbostel, BAOR
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 subsequently responsible for the amalgamation of 8RTR and 5RTR
5th Royal Tank Regiment
The 5th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1969. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
in 1959.
Promoted to Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1962 on General Staff RAC
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
at the 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...
. In December 1966 he was promoted to Brigadier RAC HQ Western Command, then Brigadier at the MoD
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, at the end of which he retired from the Army in April 1968.
Later life
Ironside married Tonita M. Harbord in ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
in 1945 and they had a son and daughter.
His first marriage was dissolved and he remarried Carolyn John in 1977. Following her death, Ironside remarried again, to Janet N. O'Gorman, in 2001.
Following retirement, he managed a yacht marina in Dorset and then ran an investment company. From 1972 to 1982 he worked at the Central Office of Information
Central Office of Information
The Central Office of Information is the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive, currently Mark Lund, reports to the Minister for the Cabinet Office...
. He enjoyed golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, flying kites
Kite
A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind...
, and dismantling cars.
Hugo Ironside died 3 October 2008, aged 90.