Roderick Sinclair, 19th Earl of Caithness
Brigadier James Roderick Sinclair, 19th Earl of Caithness, CBE, DSO (29 September 1906 – 1965) was a British Army officer during World War II and was also chief of Clan Sinclair.
The Earl of Caithness | |
|---|---|
 Brigadier James Sinclair | |
| Born | 29 September 1906 |
| Died | 1965 |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ceylon |
| Service/ | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} British Army.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ceylon Army |
| Years of service | ?-1955 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Unit | Gordon Highlanders |
| Commands held | 153rd Infantry Brigade Commander of Ceylon Army 51st Infantry Brigade |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Relations | Lord Berriedale (son) |
He joined the Gordon Highlanders and rose to the rank of Brigadier and as such led his regiment (part of the 51st Highland Division) through France, Belgium, the Netherlands into Germany during World War II and was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order and made Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
In 1949 he was appointed the first Commander of the Ceylon Army and played a major role in establishing it as a regular army from the volunteer Ceylon Defence Force till 1952. On returning to the UK he was given various postings in England and Scotland before in 1955 being appointed land agent and manager of Her Majesty The Queen's private Estate at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire where he lived until his death. After leaving the army, he was appointed Colonel of his old Regiment the Gordon Highlanders.[1]
He succeeded his sonless paternal uncle as 19th earl of Caithness.
His first wife, by whom he had three daughters (Jean, Margaret and Fiona), died during the war and after it, in 1946, he married a widow Gabrielle Ormerod (1912-1990), whose husband had been killed on active service in Africa leaving her with a daughter (Susie). In 1947 while posted to Germany another daughter (Bridget), was born and the next year in Burma, Malcolm, Lord Berriedale was born. Upon his death in 1965 his son Lord Berriedale became the 20th Earl of Caithness and chief of Clan Sinclair.
References
- "Past Army Commanders". Sri Lanka Army. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New Title |
Commander of the Ceylon Army 1949–1952 |
Succeeded by F.S. Reid |
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
| Preceded by Norman Sinclair |
Earl of Caithness 1947–1965 |
Succeeded by Malcolm Sinclair |
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