Roderic Petre

Born the son of Francis Loraine Petre and Maud Ellen Rawlinson, Petre attended Downside School near Midsomer Norton and Stratton-on-the-Fosse,[1] where he sang treble in the boys choir.[2] He served in the South Wales Borderers in the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War,[3] and was awarded the Military Cross.[4] He was also appointed a companion of the Distinguished Service Order for his service in Mesopotamia.[5]

Petre became commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion the Dorset Regiment in 1932.[6] He went on to be Commandant of the Senior Officers' School in May 1938 and General Officer Commanding 12th (Eastern) Division in France in October 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War.[6] In April 1940 the division landed in France and in May 1940 he took command of 'Petreforce', a grouping of the 12th (Eastern) Division, the 23rd (Northumbrian) Division, and other nearby units formed to defend allied positions near Arras. In the fighting the "12th and 23rd Divisions ... had practically ceased to exist" as a result of the fighting that saw the "whole tract of country between the Scarpe and the Somme" fall into German hands.[7]

After being evacuated through Dunkirk, Petre then became General Officer Commanding 48th (South Midland) Division in June 1940 and initiated training to repel Operation Sea Lion, the German invasion of England, which proved abortive, remaining in that role until October 1941.[6] He retired in 1944.[6]