Peter Acland
Encyclopedia
Brigadier Peter Bevil Edward Acland, OBE
, MC
, TD
, DL
, JP
, OStJ, (9 July 1902 – 1993) was a British
soldier.
and his wife Beatrice, daughter of William Henry Smith and his wife Emily Danvers Smith, 1st Viscountess Hambleden. Acland was educated at Eton College
and subsequently Christ Church, Oxford
. In 1932, he was invested an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
in 1936. During the Second World War, he served in the Sudan Defence Force
, was wounded and honoured with a Military Cross
in 1941. He was stationed in Abyssinia
and fought in the Western Desert. Acland was then transferred to the Aegean Islands
, where he was wounded and mentioned in despatches, receiving the Greek War Cross
.
After the war, he was chief administrator first of the Dodecanese
, then of the Cyrenaica
until 1946, for which he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
in the King's Birthday Honours. Three years later, he received the Territorial Decoration
. Acland was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1947, commanding the 296 Field Regiment, Royal Devon Yeomanry
the next four years until 1951, when he was granted the rank of honorary brigadier. He became colonel in 1954 and retired from active service in 1961.
In 1952, Acland was appointed honorary colonel of a Territorial Army Unit and subsequently in 1967 of The Devonshire Territorials
until the following year. He was nominated High Sheriff of Devon
in 1961, representing the county also as Justice of the Peace
. Having been already Deputy Lieutenant
from 1948, Acland served as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Devon
from 1962 until 1978.
was a major-general in the British Army, while the younger Antony was a diplomat.
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....
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, OStJ, (9 July 1902 – 1993) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier.
Background
He was the younger son of Alfred Dyke AclandAlfred Dyke Acland
Colonel Alfred Dyke Acland, CBE, KJStJ, JP was a British distinguished military officer.The son of Sir Henry Wentworth Acland and Sarah Cottons, he served in the Royal Devon Yeomanry reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1910. He commanded the Base Depot Remounts in 1915 and was decorated...
and his wife Beatrice, daughter of William Henry Smith and his wife Emily Danvers Smith, 1st Viscountess Hambleden. Acland was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and subsequently Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. In 1932, he was invested an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
Career
Acland joined the Sudan Political Service in 1924 and was decorated with the Order of the NileOrder of the Nile
The Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
in 1936. During the Second World War, he served in the Sudan Defence Force
Sudan Defence Force
The Sudan Defence Force was a Sudanese military unit formed in 1925, as its name indicates, to maintain the borders of the Sudan under the British administration...
, was wounded and honoured with a Military Cross
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....
in 1941. He was stationed in Abyssinia
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire also known as Abyssinia, covered a geographical area that the present-day northern half of Ethiopia and Eritrea covers, and included in its peripheries Zeila, Djibouti, Yemen and Western Saudi Arabia...
and fought in the Western Desert. Acland was then transferred to the Aegean Islands
Aegean Islands
The Aegean Islands are the group of islands in the Aegean Sea, with mainland Greece to the west and north and Turkey to the east; the island of Crete delimits the sea to the south, those of Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos to the southeast...
, where he was wounded and mentioned in despatches, receiving the Greek War Cross
Greek War Cross
The War Cross is a military decoration of Greece, awarded for heroism in wartime to both Greeks and foreign allies. There have been two versions of the cross, the 1917 version covering World War I and the 1940 version the Second World War and the Greek Civil War.- 1917 version :- Establishment and...
.
After the war, he was chief administrator first of the Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
, then of the Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
until 1946, for which he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
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...
in the King's Birthday Honours. Three years later, he received the Territorial Decoration
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
. Acland was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1947, commanding the 296 Field Regiment, Royal Devon Yeomanry
Royal Devon Yeomanry
The Royal Devon Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, it participated in the Boer War, World War I and World War II and now forms a squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.-History:...
the next four years until 1951, when he was granted the rank of honorary brigadier. He became colonel in 1954 and retired from active service in 1961.
In 1952, Acland was appointed honorary colonel of a Territorial Army Unit and subsequently in 1967 of The Devonshire Territorials
Royal Devon Yeomanry
The Royal Devon Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, it participated in the Boer War, World War I and World War II and now forms a squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.-History:...
until the following year. He was nominated High Sheriff of Devon
High Sheriff of Devon
The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, he holds his office over the duration of a year. He has judicial, ceremonial and administrative functions and executes High Court...
in 1961, representing the county also as Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. Having been already Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
from 1948, Acland served as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Devon
Lord Lieutenant of Devon
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon. Since 1711, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Devon.*John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1555*John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–1561...
from 1962 until 1978.
Family
On 7 July 1927, he married Bridget Susan Barnett, daughter of Reverend Herbert Barnett, and had by her two sons. The older JohnJohn Hugh Bevil Acland
Major-General Sir John Hugh Bevil Acland, KCB, CBE, DL was a British soldier.-Background and education:...
was a major-general in the British Army, while the younger Antony was a diplomat.