Arthur Dowler

Educated at Tonbridge School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,[1] Dowler was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the East Surrey Regiment in 1914.[2] He served in the First World War with the 2nd Battalion, East Surreys in France and Belgium.[2] He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1931 to 1932, alongside Brian Horrocks, Sidney Kirkman, Cameron Nicholson and Thomas Rees, and later returned there as an instructor from 1937 until 1939.[3]

Dowler also saw active service in the Second World War, initially in 1939 as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment and then as a General Staff Officer with the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division.[2] In 1940 he was promoted to brigadier and served on the General Staff of V Corps and, promoted on 1 October 1940 to colonel,[4] subsequently commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade.[2] He was involved in the Narvik expedition in 1940, part of the Norwegian Campaign.[1] In 1942 he was made General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and then Major-General in charge of Administration of Southern Command.[2] He was put in charge of Administration for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in 1944.[2]

After the war Dowler was appointed chief of staff of the British Army of the Rhine, before becoming Director of Infantry at the War Office in 1947.[2] He was GOC East Africa Command from 1948 to 1951 and subsequently Colonel of the East Surrey Regiment until his resignation in 1954.[2][5] In May 1958 he became Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.[6]

• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.

• Generals of World War II