Geoffrey Raikes
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Sir Geoffrey Taunton Raikes CB DSO
(1884–1975) was a British Army
General who achieved high office in the 1930s.
ian Army from 1913 to 1915.
He served in World War I
and in April 1918 found himself as Commanding Officer
of 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers at Armentières
where the battallion suffered heavy losses.
After the War he became an Instructor at the Senior Officers School in 1922 before moving on to be Chief Instructor to the Royal Marine Artillery in 1928. He was appointed Commanding Officer
of the 1st Bn South Wales Borderers in 1931 and then reverted to being an Instructor at the Senior Officers School. He was made Commander
of 9th Infantry Brigade
in 1935 and then retired in 1938.
During World War II
he was recalled to be General Officer Commanding
38 (Welsh) Division of the Territorial Army.
He was very keen on scouting
.
He was also Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire
from 1948 to 1959.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Sir Geoffrey Taunton Raikes CB DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1884–1975) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
General who achieved high office in the 1930s.
Military career
Raikes was commissioned into the South Wales Borderers in 1903. He was seconded to the EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Army from 1913 to 1915.
He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and in April 1918 found himself as Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers at Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
where the battallion suffered heavy losses.
After the War he became an Instructor at the Senior Officers School in 1922 before moving on to be Chief Instructor to the Royal Marine Artillery in 1928. He was appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the 1st Bn South Wales Borderers in 1931 and then reverted to being an Instructor at the Senior Officers School. He was made Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of 9th Infantry Brigade
9th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
-History:The Brigade together with 8th Infantry Brigade and 185th Infantry Brigade formed the 3rd Infantry Division and participated in the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force, which evacuated from Dunkirk early in World War II....
in 1935 and then retired in 1938.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was recalled to be General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
38 (Welsh) Division of the Territorial Army.
He was very keen on scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
.
He was also Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire
Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire. After 1723, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Brecknockshire...
from 1948 to 1959.