| Sir David House | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 August 1922 |
| Died | 14 July 2012 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1977 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Service number | 203138 |
| Unit |
King's Royal Rifle Corps The Royal Green Jackets |
| Commands held |
1st Green Jackets (43rd & 52nd) 51st Gurkha Brigade GOC Northern Ireland |
| Battles/wars |
Indonesian Confrontation Northern Ireland |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Military Cross (MC) |
| Other work | Black Rod |
Lieutenant General Sir David George House, GCB, KCVO, CBE, MC (8 August 1922 – 14 July 2012) was a British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later held the office of Black Rod.
Early life[]
House was born on 8 August 1922 in Steyning, Sussex, England.[1] He was educated at Regent's Park School in London.[2]
Military career[]
On leaving school, House entered the British Army.[2] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 23 August 1941.[3] He served in the Italian Campaign.[2] He ended the war as a war substantive captain.[4]
On 19 April 1947, he transferred from an emergency to a regular commission and was promoted to lieutenant from second lieutenant.[4] He was promoted to captain on 8 August 1949.[5]
He commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd & 52nd) at Penang from January 1964 to December 1964 and in West Berlin to September 1965. He served in Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.[6] He was promoted to colonel on 3 November 1965, with seniority from 1 July 1964.[7] From 1965 to 1967, he commanded 51st Gurkha Brigade in Borneo, during the Indonesian Confrontation.[2] He was promoted to brigadier on 31 December 1966.[8] From 1967 to 1969, he was chief of BRIXMIS.[2] From April 1969 to January 1971, he was Deputy Military Secretary.[9] He was promoted to major-general on 9 June 1971, with seniority from 1 November 1970.[10] From 1971 to 1973 Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine.[2] He left the post of Chief of Staff on 13 August 1973.[11] He was appointed Director of Infantry on 21 September 1973,[12] and left the post on 27 May 1975.[13] On 1 August 1975, he succeeded Sir Frank King as GOC Northern Ireland,[14] and was promoted to lieutenant general with seniority from 1 January 1975.[15] His time in command was marked by the ending of a Provisional IRA ceasefire in January 1976, and a resulting upsurge of violence.[16] He was replaced by Timothy Creasey on 1 November 1977.[14][17]
House retired from active service on 30 December 1977.[18]
Later life[]
On 10 January 1978, he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod,[19] a ceremonial post in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell on 14 January 1985.[20]
He spent his final years living in North Yorkshire.[21] He died on 14 July 2012,[1] and is buried in Aldborough, a village near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.[21]
Personal life[]
In 1947, House married Sheila Betty Darwin.[22] Together they had two daughters;[1] Jennifer and Elizabeth.[22]
Honours and decorations[]
House was awarded the Military Cross (MC) on 8 February 1945 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy".[23] On 22 June 1965, he was Mentioned in Despatches "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Borneo Territories".[6]
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1964 New Year Honours.[24] 16 May 1967, he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "in recognition of Distinguished Services in the Borneo Territories during the period 24 June 1966 to 11 August 1966".[25] In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).[26] In celebration of Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee and birthday on 11 June 1977, he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).[27] In the 1985 New Year Honours, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).[28]
He was appointed Colonel Commandant of The Light Division on 31 December 1973 in succession to General Sir Anthony Read.[29] On 1 November 1977, his tenure expired and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Peter Hudson.[30] He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Small Arms School Corps on 1 December 1974 also in succession to General Sir Anthony Read.[31] He was succeed on 1 September 1977 by the then Major General Timothy Creasey.[32]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Lieutenant-General Sir David House". 9 August 2012. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9465218/Lieutenant-General-Sir-David-House.html. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Who's Who 2008. [160th edition] A&C Black: London, 2008.
- ↑ "No. 35262". 29 August 1941. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35262/page/
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "No. 37933". 15 April 1947. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37933/page/
- ↑ "No. 38740". 21 October 1949. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38740/page/
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "No. 43689". 18 June 1965. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43689/page/
- ↑ "No. 43890". 1 February 1966. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43890/page/
- ↑ "No. 44238". 27 January 1967. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44238/page/
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. "Army Senior Appointments". http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "No. 45396". 14 June 1971. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45396/page/
- ↑ "No. 46056". 21 August 1973. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46056/page/
- ↑ "No. 46085". 24 September 1973. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46085/page/
- ↑ "No. 46582". 23 May 1975. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46582/page/
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Bew, Paul; Gordon Gillespie (1993). Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968-1993. Gill & Macmillan. pp. 104, 124. ISBN 0-7171-2081-3.
- ↑ "No. 46651". 5 August 1975. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46651/page/
- ↑ Biography at CAIN
- ↑ "No. 47371". 7 November 1977. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47371/page/
- ↑ "No. 47432". 10 January 1978. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47432/page/
- ↑ "No. 47433". 10 January 1978. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47433/page/
- ↑ "No. 50008". 15 January 1985. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/50008/page/
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Sir David House". Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=95075097. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Sir David House". 28 July 2012. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/obituaries/sir-david-house-1-4781989. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ↑ "No. 36928". 6 February 1945. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36928/page/
- ↑ "No. 43200". 31 December 1963. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43200/page/
- ↑ "No. 44311". 12 May 1967. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44311/page/
- ↑ "No. 49969". 6 June 197546593. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49969/page/
- ↑ "No. 47234". 10 June 1977. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47234/page/
- ↑ "No. 49969". 31 December 1984. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49969/page/
- ↑ "No. 46174". 7 January 1974. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46174/page/
- ↑ "No. 47364". 31 October 1977. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47364/page/
- ↑ "No. 46483". 3 February 1975. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46483/page/
- ↑ "No. 47316". 5 September 1977. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47316/page/
The original article can be found at David House and the edit history here.