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Clement Armitage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

General

Sir Clement Armitage

KCB CMG DSO & Bar DL
Lieutenant General Clement Armitage in 1937
Born(1881-12-12)12 December 1881
Honley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died15 December 1973(1973-12-15) (aged 92)
Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch
British Army
Service years
1900–1942
Rank
General
Service number1446
UnitRoyal Artillery
Commands1st Infantry Division (1936–1938)
Staff College, Camberley (1934–1936)
7th Infantry Brigade (1929–1932)
Royal School of Artillery (1926–1929)
Conflicts
Second Boer War
First World War
Arab revolt in Palestine
Second World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches
ChildrenCharles Armitage (son)

General Sir Charles Clement Armitage, KCB, CMG, DSO, DL (12 December 1881 – 15 December 1973) was a British Army officer who commanded 1st Division during the 1930s.

Early life

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The son of Charles Ingram Armitage, Armitage was born in Honley, West Riding of Yorkshire.[1] His family were historically mill-owners who lived at Milnsbridge House, Huddersfield.[1]

Military career

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Armitage was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 6 January 1900, as the army expanded due to the ongoing Second Boer War in South Africa, where he was sent. He was promoted to lieutenant on 3 April 1901, while still in South Africa.[2] After the end of this war in June 1902, Armitage was attached to the 74th Battalion, Royal Field Artillery, which left Durban for British India in October 1902, and was stationed at Lucknow, Bengal Presidency.[3]

He later fought in the First World War, serving in France and Belgium.[4]

He was promoted in July 1922 to brevet colonel[5] and, after being seconded from his regiment,[6] was appointed chief instructor in gunnery at the School of Artillery on 18 May 1925,[7] He was promoted to colonel (with seniority dated back to 1 January 1921),[8] on 17 June and on 6 November 1926 became commandant of the School of Artillery, receiving a temporary promotion to colonel commandant whilst employed in this role.[9] He was commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade in 1929.[4]

On 9 November 1930 he was appointed personal aide-de-camp to King George V, succeeding Colonel Robert Gordon-Finlayson in the role.[10] He was promoted on 6 June 1932 to major general[11] and went on to be commandant of the Staff College, Camberley, in 1934, and later was general officer commanding (GOC) of the 1st Infantry Division. The division was sent to Palestine during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt. He was aided throughout this difficult period by his General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1), Thomas Hutton and in December 1937 was promoted to lieutenant general.[12] After handing over command of the division to Major General The Hon. Sir Harold Alexander, later a field marshal, Armitage was appointed master general of the Ordnance in India on 1 April 1938,[13] in which role he served in the Second World War before retiring in 1942.[4] In June 1938 he was granted the prestigious position of colonel commandant of the Royal Artillery.[14]

Armitage lived at Downington House in Lechlade,[15] and served as deputy lieutenant for the county of Gloucestershire.[16]

Family

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In 1915, Armitage married Hilda Hirst of Meltham Hall, and they had three sons, Charles, Robert and Johnny, and a daughter Mary.[1]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 The Times obituaries December 1973 General Sir Clement Armitage
  2. ↑ Hart's Army list, 1903
  3. ↑ "The Army in South Africa – Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36918. London. 6 November 1902. p. 9.
  4. 1 2 3 "Sir (Charles) Clement Armitage". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 31 July 2007.
  5. ↑ "No. 32725". The London Gazette. 30 June 1922. p. 4924.
  6. ↑ "No. 33055". The London Gazette. 9 June 1925. p. 3872.
  7. ↑ "No. 33051". The London Gazette. 29 May 1925. p. 3633.
  8. ↑ "No. 33057". The London Gazette. 16 June 1925. p. 4031.
  9. ↑ "No. 33222". The London Gazette. 19 November 1926. p. 7478.
  10. ↑ "No. 33672". The London Gazette. 23 December 1930. p. 8256.
  11. ↑ "No. 33833". The London Gazette. 7 June 1932. p. 3682.
  12. ↑ "No. 34464". The London Gazette. 17 December 1937. p. 7917.
  13. ↑ "No. 34498". The London Gazette. 1 April 1938. p. 2157.
  14. ↑ "No. 34525". The London Gazette. 24 June 1938. p. 4077.
  15. ↑ The Peerage.com
  16. ↑ Law, Edward. "Huddesfield & District history connections with titled classes in modern times".

Bibliography

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  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
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