Harold Pyman

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brigadier General Harold Pyman (right) with Lieutenant General Gerard Bucknall (1944)

Sir Harold Deutsch "Pete" Pyman , GBE , KCB , DSO & Bar (* March 12, 1908 - October 9, 1971 ) was a British general in the British Army , who was last Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of NATO in Northern Europe between 1961 and 1963 AFNORTH ( Allied Forces Northern Europe ) was.

Life

Officer and World War II

After attending Fettes College in Edinburgh, Pyman began studying at Clare College at the University of Cambridge , which he completed with a Master of Arts (MA). In 1929 he was a member of the Royal Tank Regiment (RTC) and took in 1937 in operations in the region of the North West Frontier in British India in part. He was then transferred to the 17th / 21st Lancers Cavalry Regiment in 1938 to assist in the conversion from a cavalry to a tank regiment. There he was promoted to captain in 1938 and then in 1939 studied at Command and Staff College in Quetta , where he remained as an instructor between 1939 and 1941. During the Second World War he became deputy commander of the 6th Panzer Regiment in 1941 and took part in the campaign in Africa . For his services he was first mentioned in the war report ( Mentioned in dispatches ) . Then he was General Staff Officer of the XXX. Corps ( XXX Corps ) of the Eighth Army ( Eighth Army ) belonging 7th Armored Division ( 7th Armored Division ) and was recognized for its achievements in other combat missions in North Africa with the DSO excellent.

After that was Pyman commander ( Commanding Officer ) of the 3rd Armored Regiment (3rd Royal Tank Regiment) , which the 10th Armored Division ( 10th Armored Division ) was one of the Eighth Army, and received for his local a clasp (bar) to the DSO. After his return he was Brigadier General for Training in the General Staff of the Home Forces between 1943 and 1944 and subsequently in 1944 Brigadier General in the Staff of the XXX. Corps in Operation Overlord , the Allied landing in Normandy , and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services there . He then served from 1944 to 1945 Chief of Staff of operating in Northwest Europe Second Army ( Second Army ) and as such was responsible for planning and crossing the Rhine , for which he was again mentioned in the war report.

Post-war period and promotion to general

After the war Pyman served from 13 August 1945 to 20 May 1946 as Chief of Staff of the Allied ground forces in Southeast Asia (Allied Land Forces in South East Asia) and after a short time as deputy head of the department staff services in the Ministry of War ( War Office ) , before 1946-1949 chief of staff of the land forces in the Middle East ( Middle East land forces ) . After his promotion to major general in 1949, he was between August 1949 and April 1951 Commander GOC ( General Officer Commanding ) of the 56th London Armored Division (56th (London) Armored Division) and then 1951-1953 General for combat vehicles in the procurement Ministry (Ministry of Supply) and as such responsible for the acquisition of vehicles for the three branches of the armed forces. This was followed from 1953 to 1955 use as commander of the Army of the Rhine BAOR (British Army on the Rhine) belonging to the 11th Armored Division ( 11th Armored Division ) in Germany , and from April 1955 to May 1956 as head of armament and development in the Ministry of War.

Thereupon Pyman was the successor to Lieutenant General Hugh Stockwell between 1956 and his replacement by Lieutenant General Michael West in 1958, commanding general of the I Corps ( I Corps ), which was also stationed in Germany and was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1957 . On January 1, 1958 he became Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and from then on carried the suffix "Sir". In 1958 he succeeded General Richard Hull as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff and was as such representative of the then Chief of the Imperial General Staff , Field Marshal Francis, until his replacement by General John d'Arcy Anderson in 1961 Festing . He was also from 1958 to 1965 Colonel Commander of the Royal Tank Regiment . After his promotion to general in 1961, he succeeded General Horatius Murray on July 5, 1961 as Commander in Chief of the Allied Forces of NATO in Northern Europe AFNORTH ( Allied Forces Northern Europe ) . On June 8, 1963 he was raised to the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE). In September 1963 he suffered a severe stroke and was therefore replaced on November 18, 1963 by General Robert Bray as Commander in Chief of AFNORTH. Between 1963 and 1966, however, he still served as Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Armored Corps (RAC).

In 1964, Pyman left active military service and retired. He was also Colonel of Honor of the Berkshire and Westminster Dragoons (2 Company of London Yeomanry) of the Territorial Army , today's Army Reserve . His son Harold Anthony McArthur Pyman served as a major in the Life Guards .

publication

  • Call to arms , published by Leo Cooper, London, 1971

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Pyman, Harold
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pyman, Sir Harold English (full name); Pete (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British general
DATE OF BIRTH March 12, 1908
DATE OF DEATH October 9, 1971