Richard Martin-Bird

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox military person

|name = Sir Richard Martin-Bird {{post-nominals|CBE|TD|DL}}

|image =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1910|07|19}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1992|12|03|1910|07|19}}

|death_place =

|rank = Colonel

|serviceyears = 1939–1956

|allegiance = {{UK}}

|branch = 23px British Army

|commands = 127th (Manchester) Brigade

|battles = Second World War

|awards = Knight Bachelor, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Efficiency Decoration

}}

Colonel Sir Richard Dawnay Martin-Bird {{post-nominals|CBE|TD|DL}} (19 July 1910 – 3 December 1992) was a British Army officer who was Vice-Chairman of the Territorial, Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Association.

Martin-Bird was educated at Charterhouse School and worked in the family business after leaving school. On 29 April 1939 he was commissioned into a Territorial Army battalion of the Manchester Regiment. During the Second World War he served with the regiment in Malta, the Middle East and Italy. Following the war, on 1 May 1947 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and took command of the 8th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment.{{London Gazette|issue=38034|date=4 August 1947|page=3658 |supp=y }} He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration on 3 November 1950. In 1953 Martin-Bird was promoted to colonel and took command of 127th (Manchester) Brigade, retiring from the Army in 1956.{{London Gazette|issue=41974|date=4 March 1960|page=1715 |supp=y }}

He was made an Aide-de-Camp to Elizabeth II in June 1961 and became a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire in August 1964. In 1969 he was made honorary colonel of his former battalion.{{London Gazette|issue=45055|date=10 March 1970|page=2848 |supp=y }} He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1971 New Year Honours and a Knight Bachelor in the 1975 Birthday Honours in recognition of his work in the Territorial, Auxiliary and Volunteer Reserve Association.{{London Gazette|issue=45262|date=1 January 1971|page=8 |supp=y }}{{London Gazette|issue=46593|date=6 June 1975|page=7369 |supp=y }} Martin-Bird served as High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in 1976.{{London Gazette|issue=46857|date=23 March 1976|page=4338 |supp= }} He was a Director and Chairman of Yates's and was President of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association between 1978 and 1979.