Francis Matthews (British Army officer)

Major General Francis Raymond Gage Matthews CB DSO (26 January 1903 – 26 May 1976) was a British Army officer who served in the Second World War and later was Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong.

Francis Matthews
Born	26 January 1903
Died	26 May 1976 (aged 73) Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1923−1955
Rank	Major General
Service number	24375
Unit	York and Lancaster Regiment South Wales Borderers
Commands held	1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers 168th Infantry Brigade 13th Infantry Brigade 185th Infantry Brigade 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division Royal Military Academy Sandhurst British Forces in Hong Kong 1st Division
Battles/wars	Arab revolt in Palestine World War II
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in despatches (2)

Military career

Matthews was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1923.[1] He transferred to South Wales Borderers in 1935 while Aide-de-camp to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta.[1]

He served in the Second World War initially as a General Staff Officer and then as Commanding Officer of a battalion within the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.[1] He went on to become Director of Military Training for the Middle East in 1943, Commander of 168th Brigade in May 1944 and then Commander of 13th Brigade in Italy in September 1944.[1] After that he became Commander of 185th Brigade in North West Europe in January 1945 and then General Officer Commanding 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division in Germany in November 1945.[2][3]

After the War he became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in June 1946, Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong in June 1948 and President of the Regular Commissions Board at the War Office in August 1949.[1] He went on to be General Officer Commanding 1st Division in December 1950, Director of Infantry at the War Office in December 1952 and Director of Civil Defence for Wales in 1956.[1] His last appointments were as Commandant of the Civil Defence Staff College in 1956 and Director of Civil Defence for the South West Region in 1960.[1]

He was also Colonel of the South Wales Borderers from 1954 to 1961.[1]

References

1. "Matthews, Francis Raymond Gage". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
2. "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 7 June 2020.
3. "Matthews, Francis Raymond Gage". Generals.dk. Retrieved 10 June 2020.

External links

• British Army Officers 1939−1945
• Generals of World War II