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Francis Festing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Royal Marines officer, seeFrancis Worgan Festing.For the RAF officer (Festing's father), seeFrancis Leycester Festing.

Field Marshal

Sir Francis Festing
Nickname(s)"Frontline Frankie"
"Frankie"[1]
Born(1902-08-28)28 August 1902
Dublin,Ireland
Died3 August 1976(1976-08-03)(aged 73)
Hexham,Northumberland,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1921–1961
RankField Marshal
Service number611
UnitRifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own)
Commands heldChief of the Imperial General Staff(1958–61)
Far East Land Forces(1956–58)
Eastern Command(1954–56)
British Troops in Egypt(1952–54)
Regular Commissions Board(1950–51)
British Forces in Hong Kong(1945–46, 1949)
36th Infantry Division(1942–45)
29th Infantry Brigade(1941)
2nd BattalionEast Lancashire Regiment(1940–41)
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches
Commander of the Legion of Merit(United States)
Order of the Cloud and Banner(China)

Field MarshalSir Francis Wogan Festing,GCB,KBE,DSO,DL(Mandarin:Phỉ sĩ đình,fēi shì tíng;28 August 1902 – 3 August 1976) was a seniorBritish Armyofficer.His most important posts were asCommander of British Forces in Hong Kong(1945–46 and 1949),General Officer Commanding(GOC)British Troops in Egypt(1952), GOCEastern Command(1954),Commander-in-ChiefFar East Land Forces(1956), andChief of the Imperial General Staff(1958–61). He saw active service in theSecond World War,taking a prominent role inOperation Ironclad(the Battle of Madagascar) and theArakan offensiveof theBurma campaign,and later advised theBritish governmenton endingconscriptionand reducing the size of the army by fifteen battalions.

Early life and military career

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Festing was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Brigadier GeneralFrancis Leycester Festingand Charlotte Katherine Grindall Festing (née Festing).[2]He was educated atWinchester College[3]and theRoyal Military College, Sandhurst,[4]Festing was commissioned into 3rd Battalion theRifle Brigadeon 23 December 1921.[5]He was promoted tolieutenanton 23 December 1923[6]and becameaide-de-campto GeneralSir John Burnett-Stuartin 1926.[5]He went on to beAir Liaison OfficerforEastern Commandon 1 February 1936[7]and, after attending theStaff College, Camberleyfrom 1933 to 1934, and having been promoted tocaptainon 1 September 1936,[8]joined the staff at theWar Officeon 15 February 1938[9]before being promoted tomajoron 23 December 1938.[10]In February 1939 he returned to the Staff College, Camberley, this time to serve as an instructor, a post he held until December 1939, three months after theSecond World Warbegan.[1]

Second World War

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Major General Festing and Major GeneralCollin Jardinein North Burma, December 1944.

In the Second World War Festing was air liaison officer for theexpedition to Norwayof 1940, then, having been promoted to actinglieutenant colonelin April 1940,[8]as a staff officer in the Operations Directorate at the War Office from May 1940.[8]In September 1940 he becameCommanding Officerof the 2nd BattalionEast Lancashire Regimentand then in April 1942 he became Commander of29th Independent Infantry Brigade Groupwhich was the landing force of Force 121 forOperation Ironclad,the seizure of Vichy French ports and airfields in the Indian Ocean, notablyDiego Suárez,[11]MajungaandTamatave[12]inMadagascar.[8]He was appointed a Companion of theDistinguished Service Order(DSO) for his services in this campaign.[8]

Major General Francis Festing, Commander of the 36th Infantry Division, with Brigadier Aslett and men of the 9th Battalion,Royal Sussex Regimentduring a break in the advance to Mandalay, January 1945.

In November 1942 Festing took command of the36th Indian Divisionand at the beginning of 1944 led it in the final stages of theArakan offensiveof theBurma campaign.In mid-1944 the division moved to NorthernBurmaas part of the US led Northern Combat Area Command[13]before rejoining 14th Army. Festing had a reputation as a front line soldier as illustrated by one quote of an event on 29 October 1944:[14]

Myitkyina – To the growing Festing legend was added another dramatic chapter this week-end when Major General Francis Wogan Festing personally led the advance platoon of the 36th British Division into Mawlu. The leader of the platoon was killed, leaving the unit in charge of a sergeant. Festing, who is generally at the front, took over, and, probably the highest ranking officer ever to command a platoon, led it into Mawlu.

Major General F. W. Festing, GOC of the 36th Infantry Division (seated in centre of front row), with other senior officers at a briefing, January 1945.

Festing wasmentioned in despatcheson 5 April 1945,[15]appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empireon 5 July,[16]and appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bathon 6 June 1946;[17]all in recognition of his services inBurma.He was also awarded theLegion of Meritin the Degree of Commander by the President of the United States for his conduct throughout the war on 8 November 1945.[18]

Postwar career

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Festing was appointedCommander of British Forces in Hong Kongfrom August 1945 and, then having been promoted tomajor generalon 17 August 1946,[19]he returned to the UK to be Director of Weapons and Development at theWar Officein February 1947 where he remained until 26 June 1949[20]and then returned to Hong Kong.[21]After recovering from ablood cloton the brain,[21]he was appointed President of theRegular Commissions Boardon 1 October 1950[22]and became Assistant Chief of Staff (Organisation and Training) atSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europeon 1 April 1951.[23]He took part in the funeral procession on 11 February 1952 following the death ofKing George VI[24]and was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empirein theQueen's Birthday Honours1952.[4]

Promoted tolieutenant generalon 6 February 1952,[25]Festing becameGeneral Officer CommandingBritish Troops in Egyptin April 1952 and then General Officer CommandingEastern Commandon 1 July 1954[26]and, having been advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bathin theNew Year Honours1956,[4]he becameCommander-in-ChiefFar East Land Forcesin August 1956.[21]Promoted togeneralon 29 November 1956,[21]advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bathin theQueen's Birthday Honours1957[27]and, having been appointedaide-de-camp generaltothe Queenon 26 June 1958,[28]he becameChief of the Imperial General Staffon 29 September 1958.[29]In this capacity he advised the British Government on endingconscriptionand reducing the size of the army by fifteen battalions.[21]Having been promoted tofield marshalon 1 September 1960,[21]he retired on 1 November 1961.[30]

Festing was also Honorary Colonel of the 50th (Northumberland) Machine Gun Battalion of theRoyal Northumberland Fusiliersfrom 1 February 1948,[31]Colonel Commandant of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers from 12 March 1953,[32]Colonel Commandant of the 3rd Green Jackets, The Rifle Brigade from 7 November 1958[33]and Colonel Commandant of the 3rd Battalion TheRoyal Green Jacketsfrom 15 June 1968.[34]

In retirement Festing became aDeputy LieutenantofNorthumberland.[35]His interests included earlyfirearmsand Japaneseswords.He was a practisingRoman Catholic.[36]He died at his home atTarsetnearHexhamin Northumberland on 3 August 1976.[36]

Family

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In 1937, Festing married Mary Cecilia (néeRiddell, elder daughter of Cuthbert David Giffard Riddell, of Swinburne Castle, Northumberland),[37]from an oldrecusantfamily.[8]The couple had four sons: Fra'Matthew Festing(formerPrince and Grand Masterof theSovereign Military Order of Malta),[38]John Festing (former High Sheriff of Northumberland),[39]Major Michael Festing andAndrew Festing(former President of theRoyal Society of Portrait Painters).[40]

References

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  1. ^abSmart 2005,p. 101.
  2. ^Note: Charlotte Katherine Grindall Festing was a second cousin of Francis Leycester Festing
  3. ^"Festing, Sir Francis Wogan (1902–1976), army officer".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29986.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  4. ^abc"Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing".British Military History Biographies. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2012.Retrieved1 January2012.
  5. ^abHeathcote, p. 118
  6. ^"No. 32892".The London Gazette.28 December 1923. p. 9109.
  7. ^"No. 34256".The London Gazette.18 February 1936. p. 1058.
  8. ^abcdefHeathcote, p. 119
  9. ^"No. 34489".The London Gazette.4 March 1938. p. 1424.
  10. ^"No. 34582".The London Gazette.23 December 1938. p. 8179.
  11. ^"No. 38225".The London Gazette(Supplement). 2 March 1948. p. 1593.
  12. ^"No. 37655".The London Gazette(Supplement). 16 July 1946. p. 3717.
  13. ^"No. 39195".The London Gazette(Supplement). 6 April 1951. p. 1887.
  14. ^Foster, Geoffrey,36th Division – North Burma – 1944–45
  15. ^"No. 37015".The London Gazette(Supplement). 3 April 1945. p. 1810.
  16. ^"No. 37161".The London Gazette(Supplement). 3 July 1945. p. 3491.
  17. ^"No. 37595".The London Gazette(Supplement). 4 June 1946. p. 2729.
  18. ^"No. 37340".The London Gazette(Supplement). 6 November 1945. p. 5460.
  19. ^"No. 37701".The London Gazette(Supplement). 23 August 1946. p. 4295.
  20. ^"No. 38674".The London Gazette(Supplement). 26 July 1949. p. 3639.
  21. ^abcdefHeathcote, p. 120
  22. ^"No. 39031".The London Gazette(Supplement). 3 October 1950. p. 4907.
  23. ^"No. 39206".The London Gazette(Supplement). 17 April 1951. p. 2239.
  24. ^"No. 39575".The London Gazette(Supplement). 17 June 1952. p. 3350.
  25. ^"No. 39614".The London Gazette(Supplement). 1 August 1952. p. 4179.
  26. ^"No. 40223".The London Gazette(Supplement). 6 July 1954. p. 3949.
  27. ^"No. 41089".The London Gazette(Supplement). 4 June 1957. p. 3369.
  28. ^"No. 41426".The London Gazette(Supplement). 20 June 1958. p. 3991.
  29. ^"No. 41508".The London Gazette(Supplement). 26 September 1958. p. 5954.
  30. ^"No. 42503".The London Gazette(Supplement). 31 October 1961. p. 7925.
  31. ^"No. 38278".The London Gazette(Supplement). 30 April 1948. p. 2747.
  32. ^"No. 39797".The London Gazette(Supplement). 10 March 1953. p. 1430.
  33. ^"No. 41541".The London Gazette(Supplement). 4 November 1958. p. 6786.
  34. ^"No. 44633".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 June 1968. p. 7850.
  35. ^"No. 42692".The London Gazette.29 May 1962. p. 4374.
  36. ^abHeathcote, p. 121
  37. ^"Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing".ThePeerage.Retrieved1 January2012.
  38. ^"Fra' Matthew Festing".Order of Malta. Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2012.Retrieved1 January2012.
  39. ^"No. 53857".The London Gazette.23 November 1994. p. 16376.
  40. ^"Honorary degrees for brothers".University of Northumbria. Archived fromthe originalon 29 March 2012.Retrieved1 January2012.

Bibliography

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  • Foster, Geoffrey (1946).36th Division – North Burma – 1944–45.privately published.
  • Heathcote, Tony (1999).The British Field Marshals 1736–1997.Barnsley (UK): Pen & Sword.ISBN0-85052-696-5.
  • Wilkes, Lyall (1991).Festing – Field Marshal: A study of "Front Line Frankie", G.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O.Book Guild Ltd.ISBN0-86332-532-7.
  • Mead, Richard (2007).Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II.Stroud (UK): Spellmount.ISBN978-1-86227-431-0.
  • Smart, Nick (2005).Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War.Barnesley: Pen & Sword.ISBN1844150496.
  • Shaigiya-Abdelsamad, Yahya (2013).Britain & Japan Biographical Portraits,Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing (1912-1976).Global Oriental.
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Military offices
Preceded by Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
1945–1946 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
June – September 1949 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC British Troops in Egypt
1952–1954 		Succeeded by
Preceded by GOC-in-C Eastern Command
1954–1956 		Succeeded by
Preceded by C-in-C Far East Land Forces
1956–1958 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1958–1961
Honorary titles
Preceded by Colonel of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
1953–1965 		Succeeded by
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