Eric de Burgh

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = General

| name = Sir Eric de Burgh

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1881|05|10}}UK, British Army Lists, 1882–1962

| birth_place = Naas, County Kildare, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1973|2|6|1881|05|10}}England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995

| death_place = Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland

| placeofburial = Maudlin's Cemetery

| allegiance = United Kingdom

| branch = British Army
British Indian Army

| serviceyears = 1901–1941

| rank = General

| servicenumber = 3737

| unit =

| commands = Chief of the General Staff in India
1st Indian Division
Rawalpindi District
Lahore District
1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade

| battles = Second Boer War
First World War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
Second World War

| awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Fanshawe|1923|1934|end=d.}}

| relations =

| laterwork =

}}

File:De Burgh gravestone, Naas Maudlin.jpg]]

General Sir Eric de Burgh, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|KCB|DSO|OBE}} ({{IPAc-en|lang|d|_|'|b|ɜːr|}}; {{respell|d’|BER}}; 10 May 1881 – 6 February 1973) was a British Indian Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff in India from 1939 to 1941.

Military career

Educated at Marlborough College and the Colonial College, Hollesley Bay, De Burgh was commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, as a second lieutenant in October 1901. In February 1902 he was seconded for service with mounted infantry during the Second Boer War,{{London Gazette| issue=27417 |page=1887 |date=18 March 1902}}[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030018820 Private Papers of General Sir Eric de Burgh], Imperial War Museum, London, UK. with the local rank of lieutenant whilst serving in South Africa.{{London Gazette|issue=27425 |page=2507 |date=15 April 1902}} After the end of the war in South Africa, he was in January 1903 transferred to the regular army, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment.{{London Gazette|issue= 27519|date=27 January 1903 |page=533}} He was seconded to the Indian Army later the same year, and served in the 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse). He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1913 to 1914.{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=79}}

De Burgh served in the First World War and saw action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, the month he was made a brigade major,{{London Gazette|issue=29113|page=2984|date=28 March 1915}} the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915 and the Battle of Loos in September 1915. He later saw action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Battle of Arras in April 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917.

De Burgh also fought in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. He was appointed an instructor at Staff College, Quetta in 1928.[https://generals.dk/general/de_Burgh/Eric/Great_Britain.html de Burgh, Sir Eric, General (1881–1973) (Indian Army)], [http://www.generals.dk/ Generals.dk]. He went on to be a Brigadier on the General Staff at Eastern Command in India in 1930, commanding officer of the 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade in 1931 and District Officer Commanding Lahore District in 1934. After that he attended the Imperial Defence College.{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=79}} He then became Deputy Chief General Staff at Army Headquarters India in 1935, District Officer Commanding Rawalpindi District in 1936 and General Officer Commanding 1st Indian Division in 1937. His last appointment was as Chief of the General Staff in India in 1939 at the start of the Second World War before retiring in 1941.

In retirement, De Burgh lived at Ard Cairn outside Naas and, in 1960, he acquired Bargy Castle in County Wexford.[http://www.turtlebunbury.com/history/history_family/hist_family_deburgh.htm#general General Sir Eric de Burgh — Old Friend], [http://www.turtlebunbury.com/ Turtle Bunbury].

Family

In 1923, De Burgh married Mary Fanshawe, daughter of General Sir Edward Fanshawe; they had two daughters. He was the maternal grandfather of singer Chris de Burgh.

References

Bibliography

{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chief of the General Staff (India)|years=1939–1941}}

Category:1881 births

Category:1973 deaths

Category:Academics of the Staff College, Quetta

Category:Military personnel from County Kildare

Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley

Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies

Category:British Indian Army generals

Category:People educated at Marlborough College

Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War

Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I

Category:British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War