Stuart Greeves
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Stuart Greeves KBE
CB
DSO and Bar
MC and Bar
(1897–1989) was a British Indian Army
officer.
Born in 1897, Stuart Greeves was educated at Northampton School.
When war broke out in September 1914, Sam Greeves joined 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
as a volunteer.
In 1915, he was deployed to the Western Front
where for the next three years he took part in active combat operations with the Northamptonshire Regiment and the Lancashire Fusiliers
in France
and Belgium
. In 1918, he was promoted to Lieutenant
, and after the Armistice
he opted to join the British Indian Army
.
On promotion to Captain
in 1922, he served on the North West Frontier. In 1932 he was appointed Brigade Major of the Wana Brigade, North West Frontier, India, 1932-1936:
served in Burma, 1943–1945;
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSO and Bar
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...
MC and Bar
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1897–1989) was a British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
officer.
Born in 1897, Stuart Greeves was educated at Northampton School.
When war broke out in September 1914, Sam Greeves joined 7th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
Northamptonshire Regiment
The Northamptonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1960. Its lineage is now continued by The Royal Anglian Regiment.-Formation:The regiment was formed as part of the reorganisation of the infantry by the Childers reforms...
as a volunteer.
In 1915, he was deployed to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
where for the next three years he took part in active combat operations with the Northamptonshire Regiment and the Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In 1918, he was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and after the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
he opted to join the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
.
On promotion to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1922, he served on the North West Frontier. In 1932 he was appointed Brigade Major of the Wana Brigade, North West Frontier, India, 1932-1936:
- Major, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, 1935;
- General Staff Officer Grade 2, Rawalpindi District, 1939;
- General Staff Officer Grade 1, India, 1941;
- Lieutenant Colonel, 1943;
served in Burma, 1943–1945;
- Brigadier (Temp) Burma 1943,
- Colonel 1946,
- Major General, 1947,
- Deputy Adjutant-General India,
- retired, 1957,
- died in 1989.
Citation for Distinguished Service Order
Brigadier (Temporary) Stuart Greeves CBE, DSO, MC
BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Greeves commanded 80th Indian Infantry Brigade of 20th Indian DivisionIndian 20th Infantry DivisionThe Indian 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, formed in India, and took part in the Burma Campaign during World War II. In the immediate aftermath of the War, the bulk of the division reoccupied French Indochina.-Formation:The division was formed...
. After the capture of Monyra on 22 January 1945, his Brigade was ordered to clear the large area of the Irrawaddy and ChidwinChindwin RiverThe Chindwin River is a river in Burma , and the largest tributary of the country's chief river the Ayeyarwady . It flows entirely within Burma and is known as Ning-thi to the Manipuris.-Source:...
confluence up to the Habet River and deceive the enemy into believing that a crossing was to take place in that area. This difficult task he planned and carried out most admirable and achieved his both his objects by hard fighting and tireless manoeuvre, during which he himself was always right forward, enthusing his troops and setting a wonderful example of fearlessness and dash, at all times completely regardless of his own safety, and quite indifferent to the fire of the enemy artillery, automatics and snipers to which he was subjected in each of the many actions fought by his Brigade.
Later, after a small bridgehead had been established across the Irrawaddy, he disengaged his Brigade with great skill and speed, and crossed over into the bridgehead; and thanks to fine planning, determination and speed, inflicted defeat after defeat on the Japanese, not only in close battle in the bridgehead area itself, but in a lightning sweep which carried his Brigade in four days over 35 miles of difficult country through the enemy’s artillery area, completely disorganizing it and various units of the 31st and 53rd Japanese Divisions to a position to threaten seriously the main MandalayMandalayMandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
– MeiktilaMeiktilaMeiktila is a city in central Myanmar, located on the banks of Lake Meiktila in Mandalay Division, at the junctions of the Bagan-Taunggyi, Yangon-Mandalay and Meiktila-Myingyan highways. Because of its strategic position, Meiktila is home to Myanmar Air Force's central command and Meiktila Air...
Road near KyaukseKyaukseKyaukse is a small town in Mandalay Region, Myanmar. It is famous for the Kyaukse Elephant Dance.-Education:Kyaukse is home to the Kyaukse Education College, Technological University, Kyaukse and Kyaukse University.-Economy:...
. His troops killed a great number of the enemy during this drive, destroyed many dumps of ammunition, petrol and supplies, and captured no less than eleven guns most of whose crews fought them to the last. As usual, Brigadier Greeves was in the forefront of all the actions fought. He has throughout shown all the qualities of a great and fearless leader, and has carried out with his Brigade in one month the many difficult tasks given to him in such a brilliant way that he is most thoroughly deserving of the immediate award of a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order.