John Blakiston-Houston (British Army officer)
Major-General John Matthew Blakiston-Houston DL (18 April 1882 − 16 December 1959) was a senior British Army officer.
John Blakiston-Houston | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Mike"[1] |
| Born | 18 April 1882 |
| Died | 16 December 1959 (aged 77) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1901−1941 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Service number | 566[2] |
| Unit | 11th Hussars |
| Commands held | 12th Royal Lancers 2nd Cavalry Brigade School of Equitation 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in dispatches[3] |
Military career
Blakiston-Houston transferred from the militia into the 11th Hussars on 15 February 1902.[4] He served in the First World War as deputy assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general for the 3rd Cavalry Division and then as assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general for the 1st Cavalry Division.[5]
After attending and graduating from the Staff College, Camberley, in 1919,[3] he went on to become commanding officer of the 12th Royal Lancers in September 1923, commander of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in October 1927 and Chief Administration Officer, Northern Command in November 1931.[5] After that he became commandant of the School of Equitation in Weedon Bec in August 1934 before retiring in August 1938.[6] In 1937, the year before his retirement, he had been considered for the command of the Mobile Division, later the 1st Armoured Division, but Leslie Hore-Belisha, the Secretary of State for War, turned down the idea, in the belief that all Blakiston-Houston could do was "slap his thigh and shout".[1]
He was recalled to become General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division in September 1939 and GOC Midland Area in May 1940 before returning to retirement with his wife in January 1942.[5][1]
References
- Smart 2005, p. 35.
- "No. 35433". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 January 1942. p. 437.
- Smart 2005, p. 34.
- "No. 27406". The London Gazette. 14 February 1902. p. 938.
- "Blakiston-Houston, John". Generals.dk. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
Bibliography
- Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 1844150496.