Philip Balfour

Lieutenant-General Sir Philip Maxwell Balfour KBE CB MC* (10 March 1898 – 4 February 1977) was a senior British Army officer who achieved high office in the 1950s.

Sir Philip Balfour
Born	10 March 1898
Died	4 February 1977 (aged 77)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1915−1953
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Service number	11645
Unit	Royal Artillery
Commands held	53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division 2nd Division Northern Command
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Military Cross

Military career

Philip Balfour was born on 10 March 1898 and was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery on 28 July 1915, alongside Cameron Nicholson and John Kennedy of the Royal Garrison Artillery.[1][2] He served in World War I being deployed to France and Belgium.[2] He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1929 to 1930, alongside Neil Ritchie, Herbert Lumsden, George Erskine, John Edwards, John Winterton, Hugh Russell, Ivor Hughes and several other future brigadiers and general officers.[3]

He also served in World War II, initially as a GSO2 before being made Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA) of the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division. From 1944 he was serving as Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of John Crocker's I Corps throughout the North West Europe Campaign, and was awarded the CBE for 'gallant and distinguished services in Normandy' as a temporary brigadier.[4]

After the War he joined the Control Commission in Germany in 1945 and then became Director of Civil Affairs for the Military Government, British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in 1946.[2] He was appointed General Officer Commanding 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division later in 1946 and then GOC 2nd Division in 1947.[2] Finally he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command in 1949; in that role he was critical of the standard of shooting in the British Army.[5] He retired in 1953.[2]

References

1. "No. 29242". The London Gazette. 27 July 1915. p. 7335.
2. "Balfour, Philip". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
3. "No. 33459". The London Gazette. 22 January 1929. p. 543.
4. "No. 36720". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 September 1944. p. 4473.
5. Shooting Standard Hansard, 3 February 1953

External links

• Generals of World War II

Military offices
Preceded by George Richards	GOC 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division 1946−1947	Succeeded by Christopher Woolner
Preceded by John Churcher	GOC 2nd Division 1947−1949	Succeeded by Colin Callander
Preceded by Sir Montagu Stopford	GOC-in-C Northern Command 1949−1953	Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Evans