Charles Bullen-Smith

Major-General David Charles Bullen-Smith MC (23 October 1898 – 1970) was a senior British Army officer.

Charles Bullen-Smith
Born23 October 1898
Died1970 (aged 71-72)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1918–1946
RankMajor-General
Service number26087
UnitKing's Own Scottish Borderers
Commands held1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers
219th Independent Infantry Brigade
Senior Officers' School, Sheerness
15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
51st (Highland) Infantry Division
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsMilitary Cross

Military career

Bullen-Smith was born in 1898 and attended Wellington College, Berkshire. He then attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst during the First World War, from where he was commissioned on 16 August 1916 into the King's Own Scottish Borderers.[1] He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 February 1918.[2] Towards the end of the war, during the Hundred Days Offensive, he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation for which reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while commanding a company. Continually required as he was to fill a gap in the line with a platoon, he personally reconnoitred first, and then ably led them to the spot. All this was carried out under exceptionally heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.[3]

Remaining in the army during the difficult interwar period, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1940 during the Second World War.[4][5] He went on to be commander of the 219th Independent Brigade in June 1941, Commandant of Senior Officers' School in November 1941 and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in May 1942.[4] After that he became GOC 51st (Highland) Division in North-West Europe in August 1943 and led the division during the Normandy landings and in the subsequent Battle of Normandy that followed in the next few weeks.[6] After leading an unsuccessful operation to raid the Colombelles factory area on 10–11 July 1944,[6] he was relieved of his command and, instead, became deputy director of Military Training at the War Office in August 1944.[4] He retired in July 1946[7] and, having attained the age limit, ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers on 23 October 1956.[8]

References
  1. "No. 29708". The London Gazette. 15 August 1916. p. 8028.
  2. "No. 30559". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 2871.
  3. "No. 13322". The Edinburgh Gazette. 18 September 1918. p. 3364.
  4. "Charles Bullen-Smith". Generals.dk. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  5. Smart 2005, p. 51.
  6. King, Anthony. "Why did 51st Highland Division Fail? A case-study in command and combat effectiveness". University of Warwick. p. 59. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  7. "No. 37660". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1946. p. 3785.
  8. "No. 40922". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 November 1956. p. 6397.

Bibliography
  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
  • Collins, James Lawton; Chandler, David G. (1994). The D-Day Encyclopedia. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0132036215.
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