Arnold Minnis

Minnis was born at Oughtibridge and attended the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He graduated from Woolwich in October 1915, entering into the Royal Engineers (West Riding Divisional Engineers) as a second lieutenant.{{London Gazette |issue=29377|date=23 November 1915|page=11605}} Serving in the First World War, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in July 1917.{{London Gazette |issue=30403|date=27 November 1917|page=12476}} In December 1918, he was promoted to the temporary rank of captain while commanding a company when seconded to the Military Works Office.{{London Gazette |issue=31527|date=29 August 1919|page=10900}}{{London Gazette |issue=31933|date=8 June 1920|page=6346}} He was appointed to the Royal School of Military Engineering in July 1925, as an assistant instructor in construction.{{London Gazette |issue=33078|date=25 August 1925|page=5631}} He was promoted to the full rank of captain in August 1926.{{London Gazette |issue=33190|date=10 August 1926|page=5291}} He relinquished his position at the school in October 1929.{{London Gazette |issue=33542|date=11 October 1929|page=6477}}

Minnis made his debut in first-class cricket for the British Army cricket team against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's in 1930.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31493/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Arnold Minnis |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-04-16 |url-access=subscription}} He played in the repeat fixture at Lord's the following season, taking figures of 7 for 48 with his slow left-arm orthodox bowling, helping to dismiss the MCC for 97 in their first-innings.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/14/14055.html |title=Marylebone Cricket Club v Army, 1931 |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-04-16 |url-access=subscription}} He made two further first-class appearances for the army in 1932, against the touring South Americans and the Royal Air Force. In four first-class matches, Minnis took a total of 23 wickets at an average of 15.13.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/31/31493/f_Bowling_by_Team.html |title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Arnold Minnis |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-04-16 |url-access=subscription}}

In January 1932, Minnis was appointed as a staff captain at the War Office,{{London Gazette |issue=33788|date=8 January 1932|page=197}} while the following year he became the deputy assistant director of works at the War Office.{{London Gazette |issue=33962|date=21 July 1933|page=4887|supp=y}} He was promoted to the rank of major in October 1935.{{London Gazette |issue=34204|date=4 October 1935|page=6217}} He relinquished his position as deputy assistant director of works in January 1936.{{London Gazette |issue=34239|date=3 January 1936|page=53}} He was granted the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel in December 1937, while commanding the Royal Engineers at Corsham.{{London Gazette |issue=34462|date=10 December 1937|page=7738}} Having gained the full rank of lieutenant colonel in January 1938,{{London Gazette |issue=34476|date=25 January 1938|page=515}} he was promoted to the rank of battalion colonel in July 1939.{{London Gazette |issue=34642|date=4 July 1939|page=4565}}

Minnis served during the Second World War, where he commanded "X" Force, a formation of ten territorial field companies constructing defences on the French-Belgian frontier as a continuation north of the Maginot Line prior to the German invasion of France in May 1940.{{cite web|url=http://sfbhistory.org.uk/Pages/SheffieldatWar/Page07/Page07e.html |title=49th West Riding Division, Royal Engineers Minnis |publisher=www.sfbhistory.org.uk |accessdate=2019-04-16}} He was mentioned in despatches in December 1940.{{London Gazette |issue=35020|date=20 December 1940|page=7175|supp=y}} He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in March 1941,{{London Gazette |issue=35120|date=28 March 1941|page=1865|supp=y}} while in May of the same year he was promoted to the rank of colonel.{{London Gazette |issue=35157|date=6 May 1941|page=2648}} He was again mentioned in despatches in December 1941 and August 1943, the latter for service in Iraq and Persia.{{London Gazette |issue=35396|date=26 December 1941|page=7340}}{{London Gazette |issue=36120|date=3 August 1943|page=3524|supp=y}} After the conclusion of the war he was retained on the active list,{{London Gazette |issue=37416|date=28 December 1945|page=193|supp=y}} before retiring in July 1946, at which point he was granted the honorary rank of brigadier.{{London Gazette |issue=37643|date=5 July 1946|page=3493|supp=y}} He was made the honorary colonel of the 118 Construction Regiment in October 1947,{{London Gazette |issue=38141|date=5 December 1947|page=5807|supp=y}} a role he undertook until his resignation in May 1949.{{London Gazette |issue=38615|date=20 May 1949|page=2468|supp=y}} He died at Cirencester in September 1972.

{{reflist}}

• {{cricinfo|id=17608}}
• [https://generals.dk/general/Minnis/Arnold/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

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Category:1891 births

Category:1972 deaths

Category:Military personnel from Sheffield

Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich

Category:Royal Engineers officers

Category:British Army personnel of World War I

Category:English cricketers

Category:British Army cricketers

Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Cricketers from Sheffield

Category:People from Oughtibridge

Category:20th-century English sportsmen