George Erskine

General Sir George Watkin Eben James Erskine, (23 August 1899 – 29 August 1965) was a British Army officer from Hascombe, Surrey. After he graduated from Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Erskine was commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps and saw action on the Western Front of the First World War. During the Second World War, he commanded the 7th Armoured Division from 1943 to 1944. Erksine later commanded counterinsurgency operations against the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA) during the Mau Mau rebellion.

Early life and First World War Erskine was the son of Major General George Elphinstone Erskine by his second wife Eva Constance Sarah, daughter of Canon Ebenezer Wood Edwards. He was a descendant of the noted 18th-century jurist John Erskine of Carnock.

Erskine was educated at Charterhouse School and later entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) in 1918. He served during the First World War in France and Belgium and attended the Staff College, Camberley, from 1929 to 1930. During the 1930s he served in India but returned to Britain in 1937 to become Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at Eastern Command.

Second World War

In 1939 Erskine became a General Staff Officer for 1st London Division of the Territorial Army (TA). In 1941 he was appointed commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, KRRC, which was then part of the 69th Infantry Brigade, and was sent to North Africa, He served as Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of XIII Corps, commanded by William Gott, a fellow officer of the KRRC, then Brian Horrocks and Miles Dempsey in 1942. He was then promoted to acting major general on 24 January 1943 and was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7th Armoured Division. He served with the division in North Africa, Italy and Normandy between 1943 and 1944. Shortly afterwards, in the difficult bocage country during Operation Bluecoat, the 7th Armoured Division failed to gain its objectives and Erskine was sacked and replaced by Gerald Lloyd-Verney. In spite of his indifferent performance as a field commander, Erskine had qualities which suited him to other roles and this episode proved only a temporary setback to his career. In 1953 he was appointed GOC-in-Chief, East Africa Command where he had command of all security forces, including the colonial police. Erskine was GOC-in-Chief, Southern Command from 1955 to 1958, when he retired.

Erskine was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1950, a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1952 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1955.

After retirement Erskine was an Aide-de-Camp General to the Queen from 1955 to 1965. From 1958 to 1963 he was Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Jersey.

Family Erskine married Ruby de la Rue, daughter of Sir Evelyn de la Rue, 2nd Baronet, in 1930. They had two sons and one daughter.