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Gerald Boyd (British Army officer)

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Major-General

Sir Gerald Boyd
Born19 November 1877
London, United Kingdom
Died12 April 1930 (aged 52)
London, United Kingdom
Buried
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1895–1930
RankMajor-General
UnitDevonshire Regiment
East Yorkshire Regiment
Commands170th (2/1st North Lancashire) Brigade
46th (North Midland) Division
Dublin District
Battles/warsSecond Boer War
World War I
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Conduct Medal

Major-General Sir Gerald Farrell Boyd KCB CMG DSO DCM (19 November 1877 – 12 April 1930) was a senior British Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary.

Military career

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Educated at St Paul's School,[1] Boyd enlisted into the Devonshire Regiment in 1895. He fought in the Second Boer War 1899-1901, and took part in the Relief of Ladysmith, including the actions at Colenso; and in the operations in Orange River Colony, including the action at Wittebergen. During the war, he was commissioned into the 2nd battalion East Yorkshire Regiment in May 1900,[2] and promoted to lieutenant in that regiment on 26 April 1902.[3] He was mentioned in despatches three times (including 25 April 1902[4]), received the Queen's South Africa Medal, and was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his war service.[5] The battalion stayed in South Africa throughout the war, and he returned home on the SS Orotava in December 1902, when they were stationed at Aldershot.[6] He went on to be Brigade Major for 11th Infantry Brigade in 1912.[2]

He served in World War I with 11th Infantry Brigade as part of the British Expeditionary Force.[2] He became a General Staff Officer with 1st Division and with 6th Division before becoming a Brigadier-General on the General Staff of 5th Army Corps in France in 1916.[2] He was made Commander 170th Infantry Brigade in France in July 1918 and General Officer Commanding 46th (North Midland) Division in September 1918.[2] He led the 46th Division when it successfully stormed the Hindenburg Line at Bellenglise during the Battle of St Quentin Canal.[1]

After the War he was made a Brigadier General on the General Staff at General Headquarters of British Army on the Rhine and then General Officer Commanding Dublin District in Ireland in 1920.[2] He was appointed Commandant of the Staff College, Quetta, in 1923 and Military Secretary in 1927.[2] He died of cerebral spinal fever in 1930.[1]

Family

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In 1913 he married Grace Sophia Burdett and they went on to have two sons.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Boyd, Sir Gerald Farrell". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Boyd, Sir Gerald Farrell". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. ^ "No. 27474". The London Gazette. 16 September 1902. p. 5962.
  4. ^ "No. 27428". The London Gazette. 25 April 1902. p. 2766.
  5. ^ "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6901.
  6. ^ "The Army in South Africa - Troops returning home". The Times. No. 36957. London. 22 December 1902. p. 10.

Further reading

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Military offices
Preceded by GOC 46th (North Midland) Division
1918–1919
Succeeded by
Preceded by
L. R. Vaughan
Commandant of the Staff College, Quetta
1923−1927
Succeeded by
C. A. C. Goodwin
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the East Yorkshire Regiment
1925–1930
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Military Secretary
1927–1930
Succeeded by