Balfour Oliphant Hutchison

Sir Balfour Hutchison
Born 12 February 1889
Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Died 26 April 1967 (aged 78)
Rendham, Suffolk, England
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1909–1945
Rank Lieutenant General
Service number 4670
Unit Royal Artillery
7th Hussars
10th Royal Hussars
Commands held 7th Queen's Own Hussars
10th Royal Hussars
Battles/wars World War I
Arab revolt in Palestine
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in dispatches (10)

Lieutenant General Sir Balfour Oliphant Hutchison KBE, CB (12 February 1889 – 26 April 1967) was a Scottish soldier active in both World War I and World War II.

Early life and First World War

Born on 12 February 1889, Hutchison was the son of Alexander Hutchison, of Braehead, Kirkcaldy, Fife. His older brother, Robert, later became a politician and a senior officer in the British Army.[1] After attending Uppingham School, Hutchison received a commission as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery Supplementary Reserve on 26 June 1909.[2][3] On 9 December 1911 Hutchison transferred to the 7th Hussars[4] and received a promotion to lieutenant on 9 August 1913.[5] During the First World War Hutchison served with his regiment in the Mesopotamian campaign, and was mentioned in dispatches four times.[3]

Between the wars

Remaining in the army during the interwar period, he served in a variety of staff and regimental appointments, including as a General Staff Officer (GSO) with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF), before returning to the United Kingdom and attending the Staff College, Camberley as a student from 1923 to 1924.[6] His fellow students there included Montagu Stopford, Michael Gambier-Parry, Dudley Johnson, Gordon Macready, Arthur Percival, Frederick Pile, Edmond Schreiber and John Smyth, all of whom, with the exception of Smyth, were destined to become general officers. He then served for two years as a staff captain with Scottish Command, before being sent to Northern China, joining the Shanghai Defence Force (SDF) as a staff captain, later being made Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General (DAQMG).[6]

Returning to the United Kingdom in early 1928, he served with Eastern Command as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General (DA&QMG). He transferred to the 10th Royal Hussars on 11 October 1930,[7] and from 1935 to 1937 he succeeded Willoughby Norrie as Commanding Officer (CO) of the regiment. From October 1937 until November 1938 he served as Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General (AA&QMG) to the Mobile Division, commanded by Major General Alan Brooke, who had been one of Hutchison's instructors at the Staff College.[6]

World War II

He was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1940, when he was Deputy Quartermaster-General, Middle East.[8] He was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1941. He gained the rank of major general on 17 January 1942, when he was GOC Sudan & Eritrea. He gained the rank of honorary lieutenant general on 10 December 1945 upon retirement as Quartermaster-General, Army Headquarters India.[8] He was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1946.[1] He was mentioned in despatches several times during the war, on 26 July 1940.[9]

Personal life

Sir Balfour Hutchison married Audrey Jervis-White-Jervis, daughter of Herbert Jervis-White-Jervis and Beatrice Ruggles-Brise, on 28 January 1920.[3] They had 5 children. He lived at Rendham Court, Rendham, Saxmundham, Suffolk, England, where he also died on 26 April 1967.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 thepeerage.com Lt.-Gen. Sir Balfour Oliphant Hutchison
  2. ↑ "No. 28264". The London Gazette. 25 June 1909. p. 4864.
  3. 1 2 3 Smart, p. 164
  4. ↑ "No. 28558". The London Gazette. 8 December 1911. p. 9624.
  5. ↑ "No. 28755". The London Gazette. 12 September 1913. p. 6501.
  6. 1 2 3 Smart, p. 165
  7. ↑ "No. 33669". The London Gazette. 12 December 1930. p. 7999.
  8. 1 2 Sir Balfour Oliphant Hutchison, generals.dk
  9. ↑ "No. 34904". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 July 1940. p. 4579.

Bibliography

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