John Henry Anstice
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
John Henry Anstice DSO
& bar
(1897–1970) was an officer in the British Army
during World War II
.
on 7 April 1916 and from August that year he saw service in France and Belgium until the end of World War I
. In October 1922, he was transferred to the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Between January, 1934 and September, 1937, Anstice was Adjutant
of The Lanarkshire Yeomanry, a Scots Territorial Army unit. In 1939, he returned to the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, this time as Commanding Officer, taking the unit to France.
In 1940 Anstice was appointed commander of 30th Armoured Brigade before transferring to command the 7th Armoured Brigade in 1941. As part of the Persia and Iraq Command
, Brigadier Anstice commanded the Brigade in Egypt
, Ceylon, Burma, India
, Iraq
, Palestine
and Syria
.
In 1944 he transferred again to command 8th Armoured Brigade.
Later that year he was made Head Liaison Officer at Headquarters, 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe and then he became a General Staff Officer for Home Forces.
Although he had commanded several brigades, this had been as a temporary brigadier; his substantive rank had been colonel. On 29 August 1948 he was promoted to Brigadier
. John Anstice retired on 2 August 1949.
His daughter Sally Ann Wemyss Anstice married Henry Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 9th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
in 1959.
22 October 1940, 28 October 1942
Mentioned in Despatches 29 April 1941
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
John Henry Anstice 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...
& 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...
(1897–1970) was an officer in the 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...
during 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...
.
Military career
John Anstice was commissioned into the Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal 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...
on 7 April 1916 and from August that year he saw service 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...
. In October 1922, he was transferred to the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Between January, 1934 and September, 1937, Anstice was Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of The Lanarkshire Yeomanry, a Scots Territorial Army unit. In 1939, he returned to the 5th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, this time as Commanding Officer, taking the unit to France.
In 1940 Anstice was appointed commander of 30th Armoured Brigade before transferring to command the 7th Armoured Brigade in 1941. As part of the Persia and Iraq Command
Persia and Iraq Command
The Persia and Iraq Command was a British Army Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia and Iraq...
, Brigadier Anstice commanded the Brigade in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Ceylon, Burma, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, 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....
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
In 1944 he transferred again to command 8th Armoured Brigade.
Later that year he was made Head Liaison Officer at Headquarters, 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe and then he became a General Staff Officer for Home Forces.
Although he had commanded several brigades, this had been as a temporary brigadier; his substantive rank had been colonel. On 29 August 1948 he was promoted to Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. John Anstice retired on 2 August 1949.
His daughter Sally Ann Wemyss Anstice married Henry Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 9th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 9th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Edward Hugh Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 9th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne OBE, DL, JP , styled Earl of Lincoln from 1928 to 1941, was a British peer and aviator.-Background:...
in 1959.
Honours and awards
Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished 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...
22 October 1940, 28 October 1942
Mentioned in Despatches 29 April 1941
See also
- IraqforceIraqforceIraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II.-Background:...
- Burma CampaignBurma CampaignThe Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
- Battle of YenangyaungBattle of YenangyaungThe Battle of Yenangyaung was fought in Burma, now Myanmar, during the Burma Campaign in World War II. The battle of Yenaungyaung was fought in the vicinity of Yenangyaung and its oil fields.-Background:...
- Battle of Yenangyaung