William Thwaites
General Sir William Thwaites, KCB, KCMG (9 June 1868 – 22 June 1947) was a British Army officer who served as commander of the British Army of the Rhine.[1]
Sir William Thwaites | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 June 1868 Kensington, London, England |
| Died | 22 June 1947 (aged 79) Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1887–1929 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Territorial Army British Army of the Rhine 47th (2nd London) Division 46th (North Midland) Division 141st (5th London) Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
Early life and education
Thwaites was born in Kensington, the son of William Thwaites of Durham Villas. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire and at Heidelberg before passing into the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[1][2]
Military career
Thwaites was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1887.[3] He served in the Second Boer War as an Adjutant in 33rd Brigade Royal Field Artillery.[3] He served in the First World War on the Western Front in France and Belgium, becoming commander of the 141st (5th London) Brigade in 1915.[3] He was then made General Officer Commanding 46th (North Midland) Division in July 1916.[3]
After the war Thwaites became Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office from 1918, and then Director of Military Operations and Intelligence from 1922.[3] In 1923 he became General Officer Commanding 47th (2nd London) Division and in 1927 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief British Army of the Rhine:[3] he was the last person to hold this post until after the Second World War.[4] He was Director General of the Territorial Army from 1931 to 1933 when he retired.[3]
References
- "Obituary: Gen. Sir. W. Thwaites". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 23 June 1947. p. 7.
- Burke, Sir Bernard, ed. (1939). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (97th ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 2928.
- "Thwaites, Sir William". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- World Statesmen
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley |
GOC 46th (North Midland) Division 1916–1918 |
Succeeded by Gerald Boyd |
| Preceded by George Macdonogh |
Director of Military Intelligence (Director of Military Operations and Intelligence from 1922) 1918–1923 |
Succeeded by John Burnett-Stuart |
| Preceded by Sir Nevill Smyth |
GOC 47th (2nd London) Division 1923–1927 |
Succeeded by Leopold Oldfield |
| Preceded by Sir John Du Cane |
Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine 1927–1929 |
Army disbanded |
