Mervyn Butler
General Sir Mervyn Andrew Haldane Butler, KCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC (1 July 1913 – 3 January 1976) was a British Army officer who served as Commander-in-Chief Strategic Command.
Sir Mervyn Butler | |
|---|---|
 General Sir Mervyn Butler in 1967 | |
| Born | 1 July 1913 |
| Died | 3 January 1976 (aged 62) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1933–1976 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 58182 |
| Unit | South Lancashire Regiment Parachute Regiment Suffolk Regiment |
| Commands held | Army Strategic Command I (British) Corps Staff College, Camberley 2nd Division 16th Independent Parachute Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Cyprus Emergency Suez Crisis |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches |
Military career
Mervyn Butler was educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, Ireland and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[1] He was commissioned into the South Lancashire Regiment in 1933.[1] He transferred to the Parachute Regiment and served with distinction during the Second World War being awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross for his services.[2] He transferred to the Suffolk Regiment in 1945.[1]
Butler commanded the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade from 1955 to 1957.[1] During the Suez Crisis elements of the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade led by Butler and a contingent of the Royal Tank Regiment set off south along the canal bank on 6 November 1956 to capture Ismailia. Just before midnight Butler was ordered to stop on the hour, when a ceasefire would come into effect. This raised a difficulty. There were Egyptian forces ahead; the British column was in open desert with no defensible feature to hand. Butler compromised, advancing until 0:15 am on 7 November 1956 to reach El Cap, where he sited the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, with supporting detachments.[3] He was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order on 13 June 1957.[4]
Butler was General Officer Commanding 2nd Division from 1962 to 1964.[5]
In 1964 Butler was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Studies (Joint Warfare) and then in 1966 went on to be Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley.[2] From 1968 to 1970 he was General Officer Commanding 1 (British) Corps. He was General Officer Commanding Army Strategic Command from 1970 to 1971 before going on to serve as Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 1972 to 1973.[2] He was promoted to general in 1972.[1] He was also Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1967 to 1972.[6]
Butler was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for service in Cyprus in 1957,[7] a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1964 New Year Honours,[8] and advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1968 New Year Honours.[9]
On his death in 1976 Butler was buried in Aldershot Military Cemetery.
References
- Who Was Who Volume V11 1971–1980 (1981)
- Whitaker's Almanacks
- The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army (1994) General Editor David Chandler p. 349
- "No. 41092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1957. p. 3419.
- Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- The Red Devils GG Norton (Leo Cooper Famous Regiment Series)
- "No. 41131". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1957. p. 4361.
- "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1963. p. 3.
- "No. 44484". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1967. p. 3.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Williams |
GOC 2nd Division 1962–1964 |
Succeeded by Norman Wheeler |
| Preceded by John Worsley |
Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley 1966–1967 |
Succeeded by John Sharp |
| Preceded by Sir John Mogg |
GOC 1st (British) Corps 1968–1970 |
Succeeded by Sir John Sharp |
| GOC, Army Strategic Command 1970–1971 |
Succeeded by Sir Frank King | |
| Preceded by Alastair Buchan |
Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies 1972–1973 |
Succeeded by Sir Anthony Read |