Sidney Kirkman
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB
, KBE
, MC
(1895–1982) was a general in the British Armed Forces
from 1944 to 1950 and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department
from 1954 to 1960.
and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. During the First World War, Kirkman was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Artillery
in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross
during his time at the Western Front
and in Italy
and attained the rank of acting major while commanding a battalion.
Between 1919 and 1930, Kirkman served with the British Army in Palestine
, Malta
and India
. He was married in 1923, promoted to captain in January 1925 and major in March 1935. Between 1931 and 1932 he attended Staff College in Camberley
, Surrey
. He completed a two year staff posting in the rank of major to the RAF School of Co-operation in January 1938.
During the Second World War, Kirkman served as commanding officer of the 65 Medium Regiment of Royal Artillery from 1940 until 1941 in the acting rank of Brigadier
(he held the substantive rank of major at the time, being promoted to lieutenant-colonel in May 1942 colonel in March 1944 and major-general in December 1944). Later in 1941 and 1942 he held the position of Commander Royal Artillery successively in I Corps, VII Corps, XII Corps and 56th (London) Infantry Division and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
In 1942, Kirkman was appointed Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) 8th Army
(its chief gunnery officer) serving under General
Bernard Montgomery
during the Battle of El Alamein
in Africa
, 1942, a fact paid tribute to in Montgomery’s memoirs, and for which he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was appointed commander of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on promotion to acting major-general
in April 1943 and led the division during Allied invasion of Sicily
. After the Sicilian campaign the division was sent to the U.K. to prepare for the invasion of northwest Europe planned for 1944.
In January 1944 Kirkman was promoted to acting lieutenant-general (he was still only a substantive lieutenant-colonel) and appointed commander of 8th Army's XIII Corps
in Italy
. The Corps played a key role in the fourth and final battle of Monte Cassino
in May 1944 and came under command of U.S. Fifth Army, fighting on its right wing in the assaults during the autumn and winter of 1944 on the Gothic Line
and central Apennines
. He was invalided back to the U.K. with severe arthritis in March 1945.
Throughout the period of 1945 to 1950, Kirkman was a member of Army Council, initially as GOC-in-Chief
of Southern Command
, then as of GOC-in-C I Corps in Germany
and then as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the War Office. From 1947 he was Quartermaster-General to the Forces
until 1950 when he retired from the army. He was promoted to full general
in August 1947. Kirkman was honorary Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery from July 1947 until July 1957.
Kirkman became Special Financial Representative in Germany from 1951 until 1952. In 1954 he became Director General of Civil Defence and held this post until 1960. From 1957 until 1960 he was also Chairman of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council for England and Wales. He died 29 October 1982.
1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery I Corps
1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery VII Corps
1942 Commander Corps Royal Artillery XII Corps
1942 Commander Royal Artillery 56th (London) Division
1942 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 8th Army, North Africa
1943 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 18th Army Group, North Africa
1943 - 1944 General Officer Commanding 50th Division, North Africa - Sicily - UK
1944 - 1945 General Officer Commanding XIII Corps
, Italy
1945 General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command
1945 General Officer Commanding I Corps, Germany
1945 - 1947 Deputy Chief Imperial General Staff, War Office
1947 - 1950 Quartermaster-General to the Forces, War Office
1950 Retired
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General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB
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...
, KBE
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....
(1895–1982) was a general in the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
from 1944 to 1950 and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department
Civil Defence Department
From 1935 to 1971 civil defence in the United Kingdom was the responsibility of the Civil Defence Department and resulted in the establishment during 1957 of the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation...
from 1954 to 1960.
Biography
Kirkman was born in 1895 and educated at Bedford SchoolBedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. During the First World War, Kirkman was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1915 and was awarded the 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....
during his time at the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
and in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and attained the rank of acting major while commanding a battalion.
Between 1919 and 1930, Kirkman served with the British Army in 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....
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and 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...
. He was married in 1923, promoted to captain in January 1925 and major in March 1935. Between 1931 and 1932 he attended Staff College in Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He completed a two year staff posting in the rank of major to the RAF School of Co-operation in January 1938.
During the Second World War, Kirkman served as commanding officer of the 65 Medium Regiment of Royal Artillery from 1940 until 1941 in the acting rank of 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....
(he held the substantive rank of major at the time, being promoted to lieutenant-colonel in May 1942 colonel in March 1944 and major-general in December 1944). Later in 1941 and 1942 he held the position of Commander Royal Artillery successively in I Corps, VII Corps, XII Corps and 56th (London) Infantry Division and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
In 1942, Kirkman was appointed Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) 8th Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
(its chief gunnery officer) serving under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
during the Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, 1942, a fact paid tribute to in Montgomery’s memoirs, and for which he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was appointed commander of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on promotion to acting major-general
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
in April 1943 and led the division during Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. After the Sicilian campaign the division was sent to the U.K. to prepare for the invasion of northwest Europe planned for 1944.
In January 1944 Kirkman was promoted to acting lieutenant-general (he was still only a substantive lieutenant-colonel) and appointed commander of 8th Army's XIII Corps
XIII Corps (United Kingdom)
XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The Corps played a key role in the fourth and final battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
in May 1944 and came under command of U.S. Fifth Army, fighting on its right wing in the assaults during the autumn and winter of 1944 on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
and central Apennines
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
. He was invalided back to the U.K. with severe arthritis in March 1945.
Throughout the period of 1945 to 1950, Kirkman was a member of Army Council, initially as GOC-in-Chief
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...
of Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
, then as of GOC-in-C I Corps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and then as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the War Office. From 1947 he was Quartermaster-General to the Forces
Quartermaster-General to the Forces
In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is a senior general in the British Army.From 1904 the Quartermaster-General to the Forces was the Third Military Member of the Army Board.-Responsibilities:...
until 1950 when he retired from the army. He was promoted to full general
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
in August 1947. Kirkman was honorary Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery from July 1947 until July 1957.
Kirkman became Special Financial Representative in Germany from 1951 until 1952. In 1954 he became Director General of Civil Defence and held this post until 1960. From 1957 until 1960 he was also Chairman of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council for England and Wales. He died 29 October 1982.
Army career
1915 Commissioned Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery I Corps
1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery VII Corps
1942 Commander Corps Royal Artillery XII Corps
1942 Commander Royal Artillery 56th (London) Division
1942 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 8th Army, North Africa
1943 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 18th Army Group, North Africa
1943 - 1944 General Officer Commanding 50th Division, North Africa - Sicily - UK
1944 - 1945 General Officer Commanding XIII Corps
XIII Corps (United Kingdom)
XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
, Italy
1945 General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
1945 General Officer Commanding I Corps, Germany
1945 - 1947 Deputy Chief Imperial General Staff, War Office
1947 - 1950 Quartermaster-General to the Forces, War Office
1950 Retired
Footnotes
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