Eric Grant Miles
|
Eric Grant Miles
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 1891 |
| Died | 1977 (aged 85-86) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | King's Own Scottish Borderers |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment 126th Infantry Brigade 56th (London) Infantry Division Aldershot District |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Military Cross |
Major-General Eric Grant Miles CB DSO MC (1891 – 1977) served as a senior officer of the British Army who saw active service during both World War I and World War II, where he commanded the 56th (London) Infantry Division.
Military career
Miles joined the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1911.[1] He served in the First World War becoming a General Staff Officer with the British Expeditionary Force in 1915 and then becoming Brigade Major for 54th Brigade, part of 18th (Eastern) Division in 1916.[1]
After the War he became a General Staff Officer in the Schleswig Plebiscite Area of Germany and then took a similar role at the War Office in 1923 before becoming Brigade major for the Shanghai Defence Force in 1927.[1] He was appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1936, with Miles C. Dempsey, at the time a major, as second-in-command of the battalion and the two got along very well. He became a General Staff Officer at Malaya Command in 1938.[1]
He then served in World War II and as part of the British Expeditionary Force and commanded the 126th Infantry Brigade, part of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, during the battles of Belgium and France, later being evacuated from Dunkirk in May–June 1940.[1]
From October 1941 he was appinted General Officer Commanding 56th (London) Infantry Division, which he was to command until May 1943.[1] As part of the British Tenth Army, his division was stationed in Persia in 1942. At that time, the Tenth Army was part of Paiforce (formerly Iraqforce) under Persia and Iraq Command. During a reconnaissance into Tunisia he was wounded in May 1943 and returned to the United Kingdom.[2] Later in 1943 he became General Officer Commanding Kent and South East Districts and in September 1944 he took over as GOC South Eastern Command.[1] He retired in 1946 and later died in 1977, at the age of 85.[1]
See also
- Battle of France
- Iraqforce - Paiforce
References
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | GOC-in-C South-Eastern Command 1944 |
Succeeded by Post Disbanded |
