Peter Strickland

Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Peter Strickland, (3 August 1869 – 24 June 1951) was a British Army officer who commanded the 1st Division during the First World War.

Military career Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, inspecting troops of the 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, 2nd Infantry Brigade, 1st Division at Le Buissiere, near Bruay, France, 1 July 1918. Stood on the left of the screen is Major General Strickland, GOC 1st Division.

Educated at Warwick School, Strickland's military career began when he was commissioned as a lieutenant into the 7th (Militia) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC), in April 1887 before transferring to the Norfolk Regiment (later the Royal Norfolk Regiment) in November 1888. He served in Upper Burma in 1888/1889, on the Dongola expedition in 1896, and fought at the Battle of Atbara and the Battle of Omdurman in 1898. and took command of the Jullundur Brigade, leading it at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and at the Second Battle of Ypres. and continued his war service as general officer commanding (GOC) of the 98th Infantry Brigade from late 1915. After being promoted to temporary major general in June 1916, he succeeded Major General Arthur Holland as GOC of the 1st Division of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). He would remain as its GOC until the end of the war, leading it at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and the Battle of Lys two years later. In January 1918 his rank of major general became substantive.

After the war Strickland's division was redesignated as the Western Division of the British Army of the Rhine and he served with his division in the Allied occupation of the Rhineland. and retiring from the army soon after.

Family In 1918, Strickland married Barbara Cresswell ( Ffolkes); they had a daughter, and there were two daughters from his wife's previous marriage, including Billa Harrod. Barbara, Lady Strickland, was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1923. Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 1923 Third class, Order of Medjidie – 1902 – in recognition of valuable services rendered to Hs Highness the Khedive of Egypt