Noel Irwin

Lieutenant-General Noel Mackintosh Stuart Irwin, (24 December 1892 – 21 December 1972) was a senior British Army officer, who played a prominent role in the British Army after the Dunkirk evacuation and in the Burma campaign during the Second World War. He was also instrumental in some reforms to the training and equipment of British soldiers after the defeat in France in 1940, intended to meet the demands of modern warfare.

Early life and First World War Noel Irwin was the eldest son of William Stuart Irwin of Motihari, Bihar and Orissa, India. He was educated at Marlborough College, before entry into the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was married twice; first in 1918 to Margaret Maud Bavin who died in 1963, and in 1966 to Mrs Elizabeth Collier (née Fröhlich). He had one son by his first wife. During the First World War, Irwin saw action on the Western Front, initially serving with his battalion, then part of the 12th Brigade of the 4th Division, in most of the major battles of 1914 and 1915, before serving in the final two years as the commanding officer of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Lincolnshire Regiment and the 8th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. temporary captain on 9 May 1915, captain on 7 November 1915, acting major on 10 March 1917, before reverting to acting major on 1 June 1917. He was again made an acting lieutenant colonel on 23 August 1917. He was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel on 6 April 1918, and again temporary lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1918.

Irwin was awarded the Military Cross on 3 July 1915, the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 1 January 1918 with two bars, awarded respectively on 24 September 1918 and 11 January 1919, and was four times mentioned in despatches, on 1 January 1916, on 22 May 1917, 21 December 1917, and 28 December 1918, in addition to the French Croix de guerre in November 1918.

Between the wars Following the end of the war, Irwin was promoted to the brevet rank of major on 3 June 1919. He later attended the Staff College, Camberley as a student from 1924 to 1925, his fellow students including Reade Godwin-Austen, Ivor Thomas, Douglas Graham, Noel Beresford-Peirse, Humfrey Gale, Archibald Nye and Willoughby Norrie, Daril Watson, Vyvyan Pope, Thomas Riddell-Webster and Otto Lund. Following this, he served on the staff of the British Army of the Rhine. Between 1920 and 1932, he served in regimental and depot duties and transferred to the Border Regiment in 1927. headed the 6th Infantry Brigade, and took command of the division during the retreat to Dunkirk in the Battle of France. From 28 October he commanded the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division in Britain. His rank of major-general was made permanent on 29 March 1941 (with seniority backdated to 22 November 1940). On 7 November 1941 Irwin, promoted to the acting rank of lieutenant-general, commanded the XI Corps, which was based in East Anglia and had substantial responsibilities for the defence of Britain in the event of a German invasion.

He was transferred to the Middle East in 1942, to command of the IV Corps in Iraq.

For the minor attack in Arakan late in 1942, Irwin and Eastern Army HQ bypassed XV Corps HQ after disagreements with the local commander, Bill Slim, and took command of the operation.

In 1944, he was appointed the General Officer Commanding East Scotland District in his substantive rank of major general (a significant step-down from his previous three jobs), and remained in this post until the end of the war. After three years as Commander-in-Chief of British forces of the West Africa Command,

Honours and awards During his military career, Irwin was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath, was awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order with two Bars. He was Mentioned in Despatches four times but significantly, he never received a knighthood, which would normally be expected for an officer of substantive lieutenant general rank.

Companion of the Order of the Bath (11 July 1940) Distinguished Service Order (1 January 1918, 24 September 1918 For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the whole of his battalion front was heavily attacked and all communications with his forward companies were cut, this officer personally organised his headquarters and stragglers, and formed a defensive flank so as to obtain touch with the brigade on the right. This flank he held for eight hours against all attacks, organising two counter-attacks against the enemy during this period, thus averting a critical situation. It was greatly due to his able conduct that the holding of their battle position by his brigade was possible throughout the day. His courage, energy and quick decision inspired the greatest confidence in his men, 1919) Military Cross (3 July 1915: On 2 May 1915, east of Ypres, when in reserve trenches with his company, seeing that the men in the front trenches were overcome by gas and were retiring, with great initiative and courage and under heavy fire, he at once advanced with his company and seized the front trenches before the Germans could occupy them, and drove back the enemy's attack. On 13 May in the counter-attack he handled his company with great skill and determination.) Mention in Despatches (1 January 1916, 22 May 1917, 21 December 1917, and 28 December 1918) Croix de guerre (France)