Frank Simpson (British Army officer)
| Sir Frank Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 March 1899 |
| Died | 28 July 1986 |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1916–1954 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Commands held | Western Command |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
General Sir Frank Ernest Wallace Simpson, GBE KCB DSO (1899–1986) was a senior British Army officer during the 1940s.
Military career
Born on 21 March 1899, Simpson was educated at Bishop Cotton Boys' School,[1] Bedford School, Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[2] He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1916.[3] He served in World War I in France and Belgium in 1918 and then after the War went to Afghanistan and the North West Frontier of India.[3]
He also served in World War II initially in France and Belgium with the British Expeditionary Force and was involved in the defence of Arras and then the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.[3] He became Chief of Staff to General Bernard Law Montgomery in 1940 and then Deputy Director of Military Operations at the War Office in 1942 being promoted to Director of Military Operations in 1943.[3]
After the War he became Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff for Operations in 1945 and then Vice Chief of Imperial General Staff in 1946.[3] In this role he fought cut-backs in the size of the Army.[4]
In 1948 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command and in 1952 he became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College: he retired in 1954.[3]
Retirement
In retirement he became an advisor to the West Africa Committee, a body formed to promote British business interests in West Africa.[5] He was Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1961[6] to 1969.[7] Simpson died on 28 July 1986.
References
- ↑ Bishop Cotton Boys' School Alumni
- ↑ Who's Who
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ↑ Big wars and small wars: the British army and the lessons of war in the 20th Century By Hew Strachan, Page 69 Routledge, 2006, ISBN 978-0-415-54504-4
- ↑ The business of decolonization: British business strategies in the Gold Coast By S. E. Stockwell, Page 132 Oxford University Press, 2000, ISBN 978-0-19-820848-8
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 42366. p. 3987. 26 May 1961. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44885. p. 6782. 1 July 1969. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Archibald Nye |
Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1946–1948 |
Succeeded by Sir Gerald Templer |
| Preceded by Sir Brian Horrocks |
GOC-in-C Western Command 1948–1951 |
Succeeded by Sir Cameron Nicholson |
| Preceded by Sir Charles Daniel |
Commandant of the Imperial Defence College 1952–1954 |
Succeeded by Sir Arthur Sanders |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Kenneth Crawford |
Chief Royal Engineer 1961–1967 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Jones |
| Preceded by Sir Cameron Nicholson |
Governor, Royal Hospital Chelsea 1961–1969 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Jones |