Louis Oldfield

Educated at Clifton College,"Clifton College Register" Muirhead, J.A.O. pp103/4: Bristol; J.W Arrowsmith for Old Cliftonian Society; April, 1948 Oldfield was, after graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant on 1 April 1892.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/OLDFIELD.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923093855/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/OLDFIELD.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 September 2012|title=Oldfield, Leopold|publisher= Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives|accessdate=17 June 2020}}{{London Gazette|issue=26274|page=2001|date=5 April 1892}} He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 April 1895, and to captain on 5 April 1900, serving at the time with the 32 Battery Royal Field Artillery stationed at Deesa, British India.Hart′s Army list, 1902 In October 1902 he was appointed adjutant of a Volunteer battalion, the 5th Lancashire Volunteer Artillery.{{London Gazette |issue=27498 |page=7938 |date=25 November 1902}} He became a major in October 1909.{{London Gazette|issue=28295|page=7431|date=8 October 1909}}

He served in the First World War on the Western Front. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the citation for which appeared in The London Gazette and reads as follows:

{{Quote|For conspicuous ability and gallantry at Neuve Chapelle on 10th March, 1915, in command of his Battery in action, and for successful service in cutting wire entanglements.

He took one of his guns to within 700 yards of the enemy, and so greatly facilitated the advance of our Infantry.{{London Gazette|issue=29146|page=4144|date=27 April 1915|supp=y}}}}

He was latterly Brigadier General Royal Artillery for 51st (Highland) Division in France. He was briefly acting General Officer Commanding 51st (Highland) Division between 11 March 1918 and 16 March 1918.{{cite web|url=https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf|title=Army Commands|access-date=1 June 2020}} In January 1918 he was made a brevet colonel.{{London Gazette|issue=30450|page=9|date=28 December 1917|supp=y}}

After the War he became Brigadier General Royal Artillery for the British Army of the Rhine moving on to be Chief Instructor in Gunnery at the Royal School of Artillery at Larkhill in 1924. He was promoted to substantive major general in January 1926{{London Gazette|issue=33120|page=45|date=1 January 1926}} and was made general officer commanding (GOC) of the Territorial Army's 47th (2nd London) Division from January 1927, taking over from Lieutenant General Sir William Thwaites.{{London Gazette|issue=33238|page=215|date=11 January 1927}}

He held this post for the next four years and after relinquishing command of the division was then placed on half-pay in January 1931,{{London Gazette|issue=33677|page=146|date=6 January 1931}} was GOC Malaya Command from later in the year; he retired in 1934.

He was also colonel commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1938 to 1942.

In 1902 he married Millicent Kate Bredin.[http://www.red1st.com/tng603/getperson.php?personID=I1750065151&tree=Axholme Marriages] The Times 26 July 1902

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{{s-ttl|title=GOC 47th (2nd London) Division|years=1927–1931}}

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{{s-bef|before=Harry Pritchard}}

{{s-ttl|title=GOC Malaya Command|years=1931–1934}}

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Category:1872 births

Category:1949 deaths

Category:People educated at Clifton College

Category:Royal Artillery officers

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath

Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George

Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order

Category:British Army generals of World War I

Category:19th-century British Army personnel

Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich