Gerald Boyd (British Army officer)

Major-General Sir Gerald Farrell Boyd KCB, CMG, DSO, DCM (19 November 1877 – 12 April 1930) was a senior British Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary.

Sir Gerald Boyd
Born	19 November 1877 London, United Kingdom
Died	12 April 1930 (aged 52) London, United Kingdom
Buried	Putney Vale Cemetery, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1895–1930
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	170th Infantry Brigade 46th (North Midland) Division Dublin District
Battles/wars	Second Boer War World War I
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Conduct Medal

Military career

Educated at St Paul's School,[1] Boyd enlisted into the Devonshire Regiment in 1895. He fought in the Second Boer War 1899-1901, and took part in the Relief of Ladysmith, including the actions at Colenso; and in the operations in Orange River Colony, including the action at Wittebergen. During the war, he was commissioned into the East Yorkshire Regiment in May 1900,[2] and promoted to lieutenant in that regiment on 26 April 1902.[3] He was mentioned in despatches three times (including 25 April 1902[4]), received the Queen's South Africa Medal, and was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his war service.[5] He went on to be Brigade Major for 11th Infantry Brigade in 1912.[2]

He served in World War I with 11th Infantry Brigade as part of the British Expeditionary Force.[2] He became a General Staff Officer with 1st Division and with 6th Division before becoming a Brigadier-General on the General Staff of 5th Army Corps in France in 1916.[2] He was made Commander 170th Infantry Brigade in France in July 1918 and General Officer Commanding 46th (North Midland) Division in September 1918.[2] He led the 46th Division when it successfully stormed the Hindenburg Line at Bellenglise during the Battle of St Quentin Canal.[1]

After the War he was made a Brigadier General on the General Staff at General Headquarters of British Army on the Rhine and then General Officer Commanding Dublin District in Ireland in 1920.[2] He was appointed Commandant of the Staff College, Quetta in 1923 and Military Secretary in 1927.[2] He died of cerebral spinal fever in 1930.[1]

Family

In 1913 he married Grace Sophia Burdett and they went on to have two sons.[1]

References

1. "Boyd, Sir Gerald Farrell". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
2. "Boyd, Sir Gerald Farrell". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
3. "No. 27474". The London Gazette. 16 September 1902. p. 5962.
4. "No. 27428". The London Gazette. 25 April 1902. p. 2766.
5. "No. 27490". The London Gazette. 31 October 1902. p. 6901.

Further reading

• Priestley, R. E. (1919). Breaking the Hindenburg Line. London: T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Military offices
Preceded by William Thwaites	GOC 46th (North Midland) Division 1918–1919	Succeeded by Sir Reginald Hoskins
Preceded by Francis Seymour Inglefield	Colonel of The East Yorkshire Regiment 1925–1930	Succeeded by Henry Haggard
Preceded by Sir David Campbell	Military Secretary 1927–1930	Succeeded by Sir Sidney Clive