Russell Gurney (British Army officer)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2021) |
Russell Gurney | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1890 |
| Died | 1947 (aged 57) Devon, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1947 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | 8988 |
| Unit | Northamptonshire Regiment Suffolk Regiment |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment 17th Infantry Brigade |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Major General Russell Gurney CB (1890–1947) was a British Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II.
Military career[]
Born in 1890, Russell Gurney was the son of a clergyman and was educated at Clifton College. He volunteered for the British Army during World War I and was commissioned into the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1915, with which he saw service in France and, later, Italy.[1]
He remained in the army during the interwar period and attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1921 to 1922.[1] He was married in 1928 and, in 1935, wrote a history of his regiment, before transferring to the Suffolk Regiment and assuming command of the 1st Battalion of his new regiment in 1937. The following year he became Commandant of the Small Arms School at Netheravon, Wiltshire.[1]
He served in this capacity until early October 1939, a few weeks after the outbreak of World War II, when he assumed command of the 17th Infantry Brigade.[1] He was not there long, however, as he was declared medically unfit until, in 1940, he was posted to the War Office as a General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO1). He was to remain in this post until the following year, when he was made Senior Umpire with Home Forces, before again returning to the War Office, this time serving on Special Employment. 23 February 1943 saw him promoted to the acting rank of major general as he was made Director of Personnel Services at the War Office.[2] He held this position until 1947, the year he retired from the army, after 33 years of service, and later died, from a short illness, in his home in Devon, at the age of just 57.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e Smart, p. 134
- ^ "No. 35939". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 March 1943. p. 1239.
Bibliography[]
- Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
External links[]
- 1890 births
- 1947 deaths
- British Army generals of World War II
- British Army personnel of World War I
- People educated at Clifton College
- Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
- Northamptonshire Regiment officers
- Suffolk Regiment officers
- War Office personnel in World War II
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- British Army generals