Tom Rennie

Tom Rennie
Born 3 January 1900
Foochow, China
Died 24 March 1945 (aged 45)
River Rhine, Germany
Buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1918−1945
Rank Major-General
Service number 18139
Unit Black Watch
Commands held 5th Battalion, Black Watch
154th Infantry Brigade
3rd Infantry Division
51st (Highland) Infantry Division
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Member of the Order of the British Empire

Major-General Thomas Gordon Rennie CB DSO MBE (3 January 1900 – 24 March 1945) was a British Army officer who commanded the 3rd Infantry Division and later the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division during World War II and was later killed in action during Operation Plunder, the crossing of the River Rhine in March 1945.

Military career

Educated at Loretto School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Rennie was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) on 16 July 1919.[1][2] Attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1933 to 1934, he saw active service in the Second World War, was taken prisoner at Saint-Valery-en-Caux during the final stages of the Battle of France in June 1940, but then escaped nine days later.[1] He was made Commanding Officer (CO) of the 5th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) in 1942, leading the battalion at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942,[3] and then becoming Commander of the 154th Infantry Brigade[1] and leading that formation for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943.[3]

Major-General Thomas Rennie, GOC 3rd Division, studying a map with other officers at Divisional HQ during an exercise, 1 May 1944.

In December 1943 he was appointed General Officer Commanding 3rd Infantry Division in which role he took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944.[1] He was then made General Officer Commanding 51st (Highland) Infantry Division but in March 1945, after crossing the Rhine, he was killed by mortar fire.[1]

He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Loretto Roll of Honour Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "No. 31505". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 August 1919. p. 10343.
  3. 1 2 Exhibition: "They got a huge reception at St Valery" Breakout from Normandy Archived 28 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Casualty Details: Rennie, Tom Gordon". www.cwgc.org: Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 11 October 2011.

Bibliography

  • Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II. Stroud (UK): Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0.
  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
Military offices
Preceded by
William Ramsden		 GOC 3rd Infantry Division
1943−1944		 Succeeded by
Lashmer Whistler
Preceded by
Charles Bullen-Smith		 GOC 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
1944−1945		 Succeeded by
Gordon MacMillan
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