William Stirling (British Army officer, born 1907)

British Army general (1907–1973)

For the 19th-century British Army general, see William Stirling (British Army officer, born 1835).

Sir

William Stirling

Born| (1907-05-25)25 May 1907
Chelsea, London, England
Died| 29 August 1973(1973-08-29) (aged 66)
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Allegiance| United Kingdom
Service/branch| British Army
Years of service| 1926–1966
Rank| General
Service number| 36888
Unit| Royal Artillery
Commands held| British Army of the Rhine
Western Command
2nd Division
27th Infantry Brigade
Battles/wars| Second World War
Palestine Emergency
Awards| Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order

General Sir William Gurdon Stirling, GCB, CBE, DSO (25 May 1907 – 29 August 1973) was a British Army officer who reached high office during the 1960s.[1]

## Military career[edit]

Born the son of Major Charles Stirling (1870–1914) of Ropers Hall, Bures, Suffolk and his wife The Hon. Amy Harriott Gurdon (1864–1944) (daughter of Lord Cranworth), William Stirling was, after attending and later graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 30 August 1926.[2][3] He served in the Second World War as Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office and was deployed to North Africa and North West Europe.[3]

Stirling was appointed Commander, Royal Artillery for the 1st Infantry Division in Palestine during the Palestine Emergency between 1947 and 1948 going on to be Chief of Staff at Anti-Aircraft Command between 1950 and 1952.[3] He was appointed commander 27th Infantry Brigade in 1952 and then Principal Staff Officer to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff in 1956.[3] He became General Officer Commanding of the 2nd Division in 1958 and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Western Command in 1960.[3]

Stirling went on to be Military Secretary to the Secretary of State for War in 1961 and Commander-in-Chief, British Army of the Rhine and Commander, Northern Army Group in 1963; he retired in 1966.[3]

From 1967 to 1973 Stirling was Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State, an officer of the Royal Household.[4][5]

## Family[edit]

In 1941 Stirling married Frances Marguerite Wedderburn Wilson and together they went on to have three daughters.[6]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Obituary: General Sir William Stirling". The Times. 30 August 1973. p. 14.
2. ^ "No. 33198". The London Gazette. 3 September 1926. p. 5764.
3. ^ a b c d e f Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
4. ^ "No. 44241". The London Gazette. 3 February 1967. p. 1299.
5. ^ "No. 46113". The London Gazette. 26 October 1967. p. 12735.
6. ^ The Peerage.com

Military offices

Preceded by

Cosmo Nevill

|  GOC 2nd Division
1958–1960  | Succeeded by

Edward Williams

Preceded by

Sir Otway Herbert

|  GOC-in-C Western Command
1960–1961  | Succeeded by

Sir Edward Howard-Vyse

Preceded by

Sir Geoffrey Thompson

|  Military Secretary
1961–1963  | Succeeded by

Sir John Anderson

Preceded by

Sir James Cassels

|  Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine
1963–1966  | Succeeded by

Sir John Hackett

Court offices
Preceded by

Sir Arthur Barratt

|  Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State
1967–1973  | Succeeded by

Sir Desmond Dreyer