Gwilym Ivor Thomas

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Sir Ivor Thomas
Born 23 July 1893
Marylebone, London[1]
Died 29 August 1972 (aged 79)
Salisbury, Rhodesia[1]
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Rank General
Commands held 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
I Corps
Anti-Aircraft Command
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross

General Sir Gwilym Ivor Thomas GCB KBE DSO MC* (1893–1972) was a senior officer of the British Army who saw active service in both World War I and World War II.

Military career

Thomas joined the British Army and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1912[2] and served in World War I.[3]

He was appointed Deputy Director for Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office in 1939 and then Director of Organisation at the War Office in 1940.[3]

During World War II he became General Officer Commanding (GOC) 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division in March 1942 and led his division throughout the campaign in North-West Europe, from June 1944 until May 1945.[3] He was closely involved in Operation Berlin to rescue the British 1st Airborne Division once Allied Forces had been overwhelmed at the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944.[4]

Thomas was temporarily given command of XXX Corps by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery during the Battle of the Bulge.[5] He took over from Brian Horrocks who was being sent back to England for a rest.

After the Second World War he was appointed GOC I Corps District within British Army of the Rhine in 1945 and then Administrator for the Polish Forces under British Command in 1947.[3] He became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Anti-Aircraft Command in 1948 and Quartermaster-General to the Forces in 1950; he retired in 1952.[3]

Honours and awards

These are as follows:[1]

Extract from citation for Distinguished Service Order

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When his battery was being relieved the position was shelled by an intense bombardment, which lasted for over two hours and caused many casualties in Loth batteries. The pits and ammunition of one section caught fire, and he succeeded in extinguishing this. Later, the telephone pit and mess shelter were wrecked, and he immediately led the way to the rescue of wounded men inside. The camouflage nets of three more guns were then set alight, and the ammunition began to catch fire. This he also saved by tearing down the burning camouflage and smothering the smouldering ammunition, some of which had already begun to explode. Not until all the fires had been extinguished, and he had seen every man, both wounded and unwounded, clear of the position, did he seek cover for himself. His great gallantry and exceptional coolness throughout the whole of this time were worthy of the highest praise.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 28683. p. 497. 21 January 1913.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Thomas, Sir (Gwilym) Ivor (1893-1972) Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  4. Spink Medal Circular April 1998
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Military offices
Preceded by GOC I Corps
1945 – 1947
Succeeded by
Post Disbanded
Preceded by GOC-in-C Anti-Aircraft Command
1948 - 1950
Succeeded by
Charles Loewen
Preceded by Quartermaster-General to the Forces
1950–1952
Succeeded by
Sir Ouvry Roberts