Charles Loewen

General Sir Charles Falkland Loewen, GCB KBE DSO (17 September 1900 – 17 August 1986) was a Canadian born and educated soldier who became Adjutant-General to the Forces in the United Kingdom.

Sir Charles Loewen
Birth nameCharles Falkland Loewen
Born17 September 1900
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Died17 August 1986 (aged 85)
London, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1916–1959
RankGeneral
Service number17987
UnitRoyal Artillery
Commands held1st Infantry Division
6th Armoured Division
1st Armoured Division
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
Anti-Aircraft Command
Western Command
Far East Land Forces
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
Palestine Emergency
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Spouse(s)
Kathleen Gordon Ross
​
​
(m. 1928)​
ChildrenCharles Bernard Loewen (son)
John Falkland Loewen (son)

Early life and military career

Educated at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, where he enrolled in 1916, Charles Loewen joined the British Army in 1918 where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Field Artillery during the close of the First World War as he was too young for active service with the Canadian Army. He was promoted to lieutenant on 17 March 1920,[1] and to captain on 17 September 1931.[2]

He was a student at the Staff College, Quetta in 1933, and was promoted to brevet major on 2 July 1937.[3] Promoted to major the following year, he served in India with the local rank of lieutenant colonel (from 1 November 1938).[4] Loewen was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1939.[5]

Second World War

Promoted to war substantive lieutenant colonel in 1941, in the Second World War he served as Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA) in the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, then 6th Infantry Division, then 1st Infantry Division and finally I Corps.[6] He saw active service during the Norwegian Campaign and took part in planning in the War Office. He was promoted to colonel on 30 June 1943 (seniority from 1 July 1942).[7] In 1943, he drafted Operation Skyscraper to occur on the beaches of Normandy. The plan was shelved as it was thought to need too many resources. It was re-used and re-expanded in Operation Overlord back to the original ten divisions - which Skyscraper had recommended in the first place.[8]

He was also involved in the Italian Campaign where he later served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the British 1st Infantry Division from July 1944.[9] As a temporary brigadier by 1944, he was appointed a CBE (Mil.) in the 1944 New Year Honours.[10] He was promoted to the acting rank of major general on 24 July 1944,[11] appointed a Companion of the DSO for distinguished service in Italy on 28 June 1945,[12] appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 5 July[13] and received a mention in dispatches on 19 July.[14] He was promoted to temporary major-general on 24 July.[15]

Postwar and retirement

After the war, Loewen was promoted to the permanent rank of major-general on 6 May 1946 (seniority from 30 August 1944).[16] He took a number of commands including the 6th Armoured Division in 1946, which was later redesignated the 1st Armoured Division and which he led throughout the Palestine Emergency, and, returning to England, the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and Northumbrian District in 1948.[6] He was awarded the U.S. Legion of Merit in the degree of Commander on 14 May 1948.[17] He was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Anti-Aircraft Command on 27 May 1950, with a promotion to lieutenant-general from the same date.[18] Knighted with the KBE in the 1951 King's Birthday Honours,[19] he was appointed GOC-in-C of Western Command on 23 April 1953.[6][20]

He became Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) Far East Land Forces on 13 October 1953.[21] Appointed a KCB in the 1954 New Year Honours,[22] following his promotion to general on 16 April,[23] he went on to be Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1956.[6] He retired from the British Army in 1959.[6]

He was Aide-de-Camp General to the Queen from 1956 to 1959.[6]

Loewen moved with his wife to be with his sons, Charles Bernard Loewen and John Falkland Loewen, and retired at The Boyne River Mill near to Mansfield. He was the author of a book entitled Fly fishing flies.[24]

Honours and legacy
Wall of Honour, Royal Military College of Canada

Loewen, a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, is listed on the Wall of Honour in Kingston, Ontario.

References
  1. "No. 31868". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1920. p. 4550.
  2. "No. 33754". The London Gazette. 18 September 1931. p. 6037.
  3. "No. 34414". The London Gazette. 2 July 1937. p. 4251.
  4. "No. 34568". The London Gazette. 8 November 1938. p. 6990.
  5. "No. 34642". The London Gazette. 4 July 1939. p. 4566.
  6. Generals.dk
  7. "No. 36160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 September 1943. p. 3965.
  8. Canada's History magazine, Aug-Sept, 2012, page 23
  9. "Details of war service from ordersofbattle.com". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
  10. "No. 36309". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1944. p. 10.
  11. "No. 36922". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 February 1945. p. 737.
  12. "No. 37151". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1945. p. 3375.
  13. "No. 37161". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 July 1945. p. 3490.
  14. "No. 37184". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1945. p. 3719.
  15. "No. 37195". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 July 1945. p. 3861.
  16. "No. 37652". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 July 1946. p. 3667.
  17. "No. 38288". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 May 1948. p. 2917.
  18. "No. 38925". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 May 1950. p. 2687.
  19. "No. 39243". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 June 1951. p. 3066.
  20. "No. 39836". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 April 1953. p. 2339.
  21. "No. 40035". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1953. p. 6647.
  22. "No. 40053". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1954. p. 3.
  23. "No. 40166". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 May 1954. p. 2685.
  24. Antiqebook Archived 13 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography
  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
  • 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
  • H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
  • H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
  • H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876–1918. Volume II: 1919–1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984
Military offices
Preceded by
Ronald Penney		 GOC 1st Infantry Division
1944−1946		 Succeeded by
Richard Gale
Preceded by
John Whitfield		 GOC 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
1948–1950		 Succeeded by
Lashmer Whistler
Preceded by
Sir Ivor Thomas		 GOC-in-C Anti-Aircraft Command
1950−1953		 Succeeded by
Maurice Chilton
Preceded by
Sir Cameron Nicholson		 GOC-in-C Western Command
1953		 Succeeded by
Sir Lashmer Whistler
Preceded by
Sir Charles Keightley		 C-in-C Far East Land Forces
1953−1956		 Succeeded by
Sir Francis Festing
Preceded by
Sir Cameron Nicholson		 Adjutant General
1956−1959		 Succeeded by
Sir Hugh Stockwell
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