Major General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins –
Founder & First Commander
| Born: |
02.07.1896 Shiba, Tokyo, Japan |
| Parents: |
Younger son and third child of John Harington Gubbins, CMG (1852-1929), Oriental
Secretary at the British Legation, and Helen Brodie McVean (1869-1922). |
| Educated: |
Normanton Grammar School, Yorkshire; Cheltenham College; Royal Military Academy,
Woolwich; Staff College (psc). |
| Died: |
11.02.1976 Stornoway, Hebrides |
| Commissioned: |
16.09.1914 [Army No. 14618] Royal Field Artillery |
Career:
| 2nd Lt. |
16.09.1914 |
|
|
09.11.1914 |
Moved to France |
| Lt. |
09.06.1915 |
|
| A/Capt. |
26.08.1916 |
Wounded 7 Oct 1916 returned to duty. 29 Bde RFA 126 Bty |
| A/Maj. |
01.11.1917 |
|
| A/Capt. |
02.01.1918 |
|
| Capt. |
12.02.1918 |
(regimental seniority 03.11.1917) |
|
07.04.1918 |
Served in France & Belgium (wounded) |
|
22.03.1919 |
Aide-de-Camp to General Officer Commanding, Archangel 15.10.1919 Force,
Russia |
|
28.11.1921 |
Brigade Major, Royal Artillery, Irish Command (temporarily) |
|
14.01.1925 |
Adjutant |
|
21.04.1926 |
GSO3, Army Headquarters, India |
|
1928-1929 |
Staff College |
|
01.02.1931 |
GSO3, War Office |
|
08.04.1933 |
Brigade Major, Royal Artillery, Eastern Command |
| Bt. Maj. |
01.07.1933 |
|
| Maj. |
24.02.1934 |
|
| Bt. Lt.Col. |
01.07.1938 |
|
| |
01.10.1939 |
GSO2. War Office (Military Intelligence Department) |
| |
1939 |
Head of Military Intelligence mission to Poles and Czechs in Paris, France |
| A/Col. |
20.04.1940 |
Commander, Ind. Coys (NW Exp. Force), Norway (DSO) |
|
25.05.1940 |
Acting Commander, 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards) (Norway) |
| A/Brig. |
25.05.1940 16.06.1940
|
|
| |
02.07.1940 |
Raised & commanded AUXILIARY UNITS, GHQ Home Forces |
| WS/Lt.Col. |
20.10.1940 |
Director of Operations & Trg, SOE (Executive Head of Special
T/Col. 20.10.1940 Operations Executive 1943) (KCMG & CMG) |
| Col. |
05.12.1941 |
Seniority 01.07.1941 (retd 27.04.1946) |
| T/Brig. |
26.04.1941 |
|
| A/Maj.Gen. |
21.12.1942 |
|
| T/Maj.Gen |
21.12.1942 |
|
| Retired |
26.04.1946 |
|
|
27.04.1946 |
Honorary Major General |
|
|
|
| Awards: |
22.09.1916 |
Military Cross*. 1914/15 Star BWM Victory Medal.
*MC - For conspicuous gallantry. When one of his guns and its
detachment were blown up by a heavy shell, he organised a rescue party and personally helped to dig
out the wounded while shells were falling all round.
|
| |
06.08.1940 |
DSO Norway |
| |
31.01.1941 |
MID |
| |
01.01.1944 |
CMG New Year 44 |
| |
01.01.1946 |
KCMG New Year 46 |
| |
|
|
|
Foreign Awards:
|
Officier Légion d'Honneur (France); Grand Officier Order of Leopold
(Belgium); Croix de Guerre (Belgium); Order of Dannebrog, 1st cl.
(Denmark); Commander, Royal Order of St Olav, with star (Norway;
26.02.1954); Grand Officer Order of Orange Nassau (the Netherlands);
Polonia Restituta (Poland); Commander Legion of Merit (USA; 14.05.1948). Comdr
Order of White Lion |
(Information compiled for CART by CART Researcher Bill
Ashby)
|
