Thomas Pearson (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Thomas (Cecil Hook) Pearson KCB
CBE
DSO
(born 1 July 1914) was Commander-in-Chief
of Allied Forces Northern Europe
.
, Pearson was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1934.
Her served in World War II
initially as a Staff Captain in the Middle East
before becoming Commanding Officer
of 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade in 1942. He took part in the Battle of El Alamein
, a turning-point in the War.
In 1943 he became a General Staff Officer first Force Headquarters and then in the Middle East
. He was appointed Deputy Commander of 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group in 1944 and then Deputy Commander of 1st Airlanding Brigade in 1945.
After the War he was made Commanding Officer
of 1st Bn Parachute Regiment in 1946 and Commanding Officer
of 7th Bn Parachute Regiment in 1947.
He then became a General Staff Officer serving at the War Office
, then at Malaya
Headquarters and then at Headquarters Far East Land Forces.
He became an Instructor at the Joint Services Staff College
in 1953, Commander of 45th Parachute Brigade in 1955 and Commander 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in 1957.
He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Director of Operations in Cyprus
in 1960 and Head of the British Military Mission to the Soviet Zone of Germany
in 1960. He was made General Officer Commanding
1st Division in 1961 and Chief of Staff for Northern Army Group
in 1963. He became General Officer Commanding Far East Land Forces in 1967 and Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence
in 1969. His final appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Northern Europe
in 1972; he retired in 1974.
In June 2009 he was present at the unveiling of an updated display at the Royal Green Jackets
Museum.
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....
Sir Thomas (Cecil Hook) Pearson KCB
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...
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...
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...
(born 1 July 1914) was Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe was the most northern NATO command located at Kolsås outside Oslo. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003...
.
Military career
Educated at Charterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
, Pearson was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1934.
Her served in 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...
initially as a Staff Captain in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
before becoming Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade in 1942. He took part in 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...
, a turning-point in the War.
In 1943 he became a General Staff Officer first Force Headquarters and then in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. He was appointed Deputy Commander of 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group in 1944 and then Deputy Commander of 1st Airlanding Brigade in 1945.
After the War he was made Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 1st Bn Parachute Regiment in 1946 and Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 7th Bn Parachute Regiment in 1947.
He then became a General Staff Officer serving 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...
, then at Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
Headquarters and then at Headquarters Far East Land Forces.
He became an Instructor at the Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College
Joint Services Staff College may refer to:* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Joint Service Defence College"* Joint Services Staff College , the former name of the "Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies"...
in 1953, Commander of 45th Parachute Brigade in 1955 and Commander 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in 1957.
He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Director of Operations in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1960 and Head of the British Military Mission to the Soviet Zone of 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...
in 1960. He was made 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...
1st Division in 1961 and Chief of Staff for Northern Army Group
Northern Army Group
The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...
in 1963. He became General Officer Commanding Far East Land Forces in 1967 and Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence
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....
in 1969. His final appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe was the most northern NATO command located at Kolsås outside Oslo. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003...
in 1972; he retired in 1974.
In June 2009 he was present at the unveiling of an updated display at the Royal Green Jackets
Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
Museum.