Charles Bullen-Smith

Charles Bullen-Smith
Born	23 October 1898
Died	1970 (aged 71-72)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1918–1946
Rank	Major-General
Service number	26087
Unit	King's Own Scottish Borderers
Commands	1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers 219th Independent Infantry Brigade Senior Officers' School, Sheerness 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
Battles / wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Military Cross

Major-General David Charles Bullen-Smith MC (23 October 1898 – 1970) was a senior British Army officer.

Military career

Bullen-Smith was born in 1898 and attended Wellington College, Berkshire. He then attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst during the First World War, from where he was commissioned on 16 August 1916 into the King's Own Scottish Borderers.[1] He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 February 1918.[2] Towards the end of the war, during the Hundred Days Offensive, he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation for which reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while commanding a company. Continually required as he was to fill a gap in the line with a platoon, he personally reconnoitred first, and then ably led them to the spot. All this was carried out under exceptionally heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.[3]

Remaining in the army during the difficult interwar period, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1940 during the Second World War.[4][5] He went on to be commander of the 219th Independent Brigade in June 1941, commandant of the Senior Officers' School in November 1941 and general officer commanding (GOC) of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in May 1942.[4]

After that he became GOC 51st (Highland) Division. He led the 51st in North-West Europe in August 1943 and led the division during the Normandy landings and in the subsequent Battle of Normandy that followed in the next few weeks.[6] After leading an unsuccessful operation to raid the Colombelles factory area on 10–11 July 1944,[6] he was relieved of his command and, instead, became deputy director of Military Training at the War Office in London in August 1944.[4]

He retired from the army in July 1946[7] and, having attained the age limit, ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers on 23 October 1956.[8]

References

1. "No. 29708". The London Gazette. 15 August 1916. p. 8028.
2. "No. 30559". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 2871.
3. "No. 13322". The Edinburgh Gazette. 18 September 1918. p. 3364.
4. "Charles Bullen-Smith". Generals.dk. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
5. Smart 2005, p. 51.
6. King, Anthony. "Why did 51st Highland Division Fail? A case-study in command and combat effectiveness". University of Warwick. p. 59. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
7. "No. 37660". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 1946. p. 3785.
8. "No. 40922". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 November 1956. p. 6397.

Bibliography

• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
• Collins, James Lawton; Chandler, David G. (1994). The D-Day Encyclopedia. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0132036215.

External links

• Generals of World War II

Military offices
Preceded by P. D. W. Dunn	Commandant of the Senior Officers' School, Sheerness 1941−1942	Succeeded by Stanley Oswald Jones
Preceded by Philip Christison	GOC 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division 1942–1943	Succeeded by Gordon MacMillan
Preceded by Douglas Wimberley	GOC 51st (Highland) Division 1943–1944	Succeeded by Tom Rennie