British Troops in China History & Personnel
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2018 www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk Author: Robert PALMER BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL A concise history of British Troops in China, a static command covering Hong Kong and British enclaves in China between 1930 and 1941. In addition, known details of the key appointments held between 1930 and 1950 are included. Copyright ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk (2018) 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] British Troops in China History & Personnel This edition dated: 8 June 2018 ISBN: Not yet allocated. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means including; electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, scanning without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Author: Robert PALMER, M.A. (copyright held by author) Published privately by: The Author – Publishing as: www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 1 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] British Troops in China British Troops in China was a pre-war Command that reported direct to Whitehall. British Forces and other foreign powers occupied parts of China in the 19th century as part of the growth in British economic interests in the Far East. The United Kingdom fought a war against China between 1839 and 1942, which is known as the Opium War. China had remained isolated as international trade grew from the west, and was culturally very different to Europe. However, speculative traders began importing opium from India into China for that country’s large population. The Emperor of China became so alarmed at the problems caused by the increased use of high quality opium in his country, that he banned the trade. The United Kingdom saw this action as an attack on free trade, and against British interests in the area. The port of Canton was the only point of entry to China for British trade, and it was felt necessary for the British to use military force to pursue their commercial interests. Troops from India were used to enforce British policy. Britain’s jewel in the crown, however, was their possession of Hong Kong. They seized the island in 1839, with the cessation of the island being confirmed by the treaty of Nanking in 1842. China leased the New Territories to the United Kingdom in 1898 for 100 years. Following the First World War, The British maintained settlements in Tientsin, Shanghai and Wei Hai Wei, as well as their forces deployed to Hong Kong. Tension in China began escalating well before the accepted commencement of the Second World War. The U.K. sent reinforcements to Shanghai in 1927 due to disturbances in the city, and withdrew from Wei Hai Wei in 1931. China Command was an independent command responsible for the British possessions of Hong Kong and Kowloon, and the British concessions in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Tientsin. The command was a Major General's appointment. The garrison of Shanghai and Tientsin in 1930 comprised two British infantry battalions plus supporting services. Hong Kong was the most significant garrison, and included the Royal Navy presence. The Army deployed two British and one Indian infantry battalion to Hong Kong and Kowloon, with the headquarters of British Troops in China located at Hong Kong. In 1931, Japan invaded and annexed Manchuria, but the main increase in international tension arose in July 1937, when Japan and China commenced full-scale war. The two British concessions in China were abandoned in December 1939 (Tientsin) and August 1940 (Shanghai). The colony of Hong Kong was seen as isolated and difficult to reinforce in the event of war with Japan. In the event, one Indian battalion was sent to reinforce the colony in early 1940, and two Canadian battalions arrived in November 1941. This allowed the creation of a second infantry brigade in Hong Kong. ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 2 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] The Japanese invaded on 8 December 1941, and despite some heroic resistance, the Governor decided to surrender the colony at 15.15 on 25 December 1941. 1,045 British and Canadian Officers, other ranks and Indian other ranks were killed, and 1,068 reported missing. The rest faced the next five years in captivity. ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 3 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] General Officer Commanding – (G.O.C.) 1937 Major General A. W. BARTHOLOMEW, C.B., C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O. 4th November 1938 – 27th August 1941 Major General Arthur Edward GRASETT, D.S.O., M.C., i.d.c., p.s.c.1 28th August 1941 – 25th December 1941 (Prisoner of War) Major General (Acting) Christopher Michael MALTBY, M.C., p.s.c. General Staff Officer 1st Grade – (G.S.O. I) 1937 Colonel V. R. BURKHARDT, D.S.O., O.B.E. (Temporary) 2nd March 1937 – 10th March 1939 Colonel N. M. S. IRWIN, D.S.O., M.C. 21st January 1939 – 1940 Colonel A. G. NEVILLE, M.C., i.d.c., p.s.c. 10th February 1939 – 1940 (Temporary) Colonel G. E. GRIMSDALE, p.s.c. 17th March 1940 – 25th December 1941 (Died in Captivity) Colonel (Acting) Lanceray NEWNHAM, M.C., p.s.c. General Staff Officer 2nd Grade 1939 – 1939 Major P. E. C. J. GYWN, 14th Punjab Regiment (Temporary) 23rd August 1940 – 1941 Major C. R. BOXER, Lincoln R. 13th October 1940 – 25th December 1941 – (Died in Captivity) Major (Acting) Gordon Eric NEVE, R.W.K., p.s.c.2 General Staff Officer 3rd Grade 1939 – 1939 Captain H. S. P. HOPKINSON, Rifle Brigade 1939 – 22nd August 1940 Captain C. R. BOXER, Lincoln R. 29th December 1939 – 1941 Captain H. F. G. CHAUVIN, R.A. 13th October 1940 – 1941 Captain (Temporary) P. H. MacMILLAN, R.A. 1 Awarded the C.B. on the 11th July 1940. 2 Major 31062 Gordon Eric NEVE, died in captivity on 23 January 1942. He is buried in Collective Grave 5. D. Coll. Grave 1 – 4 in the Stanley Military Cemetery. He was the son of Ernest and Alice NEVE, and husband to Mary Alice NEVE, of Densole, Kent. ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 4 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] General Staff Officer 3rd Grade for Anti-gas Training 24th October 1940 – 1941 Captain G. V. BIRD, Reserve of Officers Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General i/c Administration – (A.A. & Q.M.G.) 2nd October 1934 – 1937 Local Brigadier (Colonel) H. G. SETH-SMITH, D.S.O. 1937 – 1940 Brigadier (Local) Alexander Brackstone THOMSON, M.B.E., p.s.c. 19th December 1940 – 25th December 1941 (Prisoner of War) Brigadier (Local) Andrew PEFFERS, O.B.E., M.C., Cameronians, p.s.c.3 Deputy Assistant Adjutant General 1937 – 1939 Major J. F. BENOY, South Staffordshire Regiment 25th March 1940 – 1941 Major R. E. MOODY, Inniskilling Fus, p.s.c. Deputy Assistant Quarter-Master General 1939 – 1939 Major C. E. S. DOBBS, M.C., R.A.S.C., p.s.c. 20th December 1940 – 1941 Major (Acting) I. D. H. HELBY, R. Berks R., p.s.c. Commander Royal Artillery – (C.R.A.) 1938 – 1939 Colonel A. BURROWES 24th February 1939 – 25th December 1941 (Prisoner of War) Brigadier (Temporary) Toquil McLEOD, p.s.c. Staff Captain 1939 – 1940 Captain P. S. WHITEHEAD, R.A. Brigade Major, Royal Artillery 1st February 1940 – 1941 (Died on Active Service) Captain Geoffrey Ernest Sullivan PROES, R.A.4 3 Awarded the C.B.E. on the 4th April 1946 for services in defence of Hong Kong in 1941. 4 Major 23683 Geoffrey Ernest Sullivan PROES, died between 19 and 25 December 1941, ie, before the surrender of the Colony. He was aged thirty-nine years, and has no known grave. He is commemorated on Column 1, Sai Wan Memorial in Hong Kong. He was the son of Colonel E. S. and Mrs. E. PROES, and husband of Nancy M. PROES, of Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 5 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] Major Instructor in Gunnery (Vacant) Captain Instructor in Gunnery 1939 – 1940 Major J. M. SMITH, R.A. Chief Engineer – (C.Eng) 1937 – 10th June 1940 Colonel G. C. GOWLLAND 11th June 1940 – 25th December 1941 Colonel (Acting) E. H. M. CLIFFORD, C.B.E., M.C., R.E. Staff Officer, Royal Engineers (S.O.R.E.) 1939 – 1940 Major D. H. STEERS, O.B.E., R.E. 1st February 1940 – 1941 Captain F. J. FREEMAN, B.A., R.E. Command Signal Officer – Major J. C. McDONALD, M.C., Royal Signals. 1939 – May 1940 Lieutenant Colonel E. P. C. COLLINS, Royal Signals 19th May 1940 – 1941 Lieutenant Colonel (Temporary) E. LEVETT, R. Sigs. Movement Control Officer 1st December 1940 – 1941 Captain A. J. DEWAR, R.A.S.C. Assistant Chaplain-General 1939 – 1940 Reverend W. M. A. FARREN, M.A., Chaplain to the Forces, 1st Class 1940 – 1941 Reverend H. W. TODD, M.C., M.A., Chaplain to the Forces, 1st Class Senior Chaplain to the Forces Reverend G. H. BATEMAN, M.A., Chaplain to the Forces, 3rd Class. ©www.BritishMilitaryH istory.co.uk Page 6 8 June 2018 [BRITISH TROOPS IN CHINA HISTORY & PERSONNEL] Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport 1st December 1936 – ?? Colonel H. H. WRIGHT, D.S.O. 1938 – 1940 Colonel E. S. WHITE ?? – 25th December 1941 Colonel Keble Theodore ANDREWS-LEVINGE5 Deputy Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport 1939 – 1940 Lieutenant Colonel T. W. RICHARDSON, 1940 – 1940 Major C. W. RICHARDS, R.A.S.C, Assistant Director of Medical Services – (A.D.M.S.) 1938 – 1939 Colonel H.