Robert Sturges
{{Short description|British Army general (1891-1970)}}
{{about||the Florida businessman|Robert B. Sturges}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Robert Grice Sturges
|image= Robert Grice Sturges.jpg
|caption= Sir Robert Sturges in April 1944.
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth date|1891|07|14|df=yes}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|1970|09|12|1891|07|14|df=yes}}
|birth_place= Borough of Wokingham, England
|death_place= Exeter, England
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= Royal Navy (1908–1912)
Royal Marines (1912–1946)
|serviceyears= 1908–1946
|rank= Lieutenant-General
|unit=
|commands= Special Service Group (1943–1945)
Royal Marines Division (1940)
|battles= First World War
|awards= Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
|laterwork=
}}
Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Grice Sturges {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KBE|CB|DSO}} (14 July 1891 – 12 September 1970) was a senior Royal Marines officer who fought in both the First World War and Second World War.
Military career
Sturges joined the Royal Navy in 1908.{{cite web |url= http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/STURGES.shtml |title=Robert Grice Sturges |work=Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives |year=2015 |accessdate=28 April 2015}} Commissioned a sub-lieutenant on 15 May 1912,{{London Gazette |issue=28609 |page=3583 |date=17 May 1912}} he transferred to the Royal Marines as a lieutenant from the same date (confirmed on 19 December 1914).{{London Gazette |issue=29015 |page=10918 |date=22 December 1914 |nolink=yes}}
He served in the First World War, seeing action in the Gallipoli campaign and the Battle of Jutland, and receiving promotion to captain on 30 January 1917.Whitehead, p. 352.{{London Gazette |issue=29972 |page=2255 |date=6 March 1917 |nolink=yes}} He was officially transferred to the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 30 January 1917.{{London Gazette |issue=31924 |page=6084 |date=1 June 1920 |nolink=yes}}
Between the wars, he was promoted to major on 17 June 1929,{{London Gazette |issue=33520 |page=4926 |date=26 July 1929 |nolink=yes}} and to lieutenant colonel on 1 April 1936.{{London Gazette |issue=34273 |page=2385 |date=10 April 1936 |nolink=yes}} He was brevetted colonel and promoted to colonel on 3 April 1939 (seniority 31 December 1938).{{London Gazette |issue=34614 |supp=y |page=2344 |date=7 April 1939 |nolink=yes}}
During the Second World War he was the commander of the British occupation of Iceland in May 1940. He was promoted to acting colonel commandant and temporary brigadier on 4 June,{{London Gazette |issue=34958 |page=5785 |date=1 October 1940 |nolink=yes}} and was mentioned in despatches in July.{{London Gazette |issue=34890 |supp=y |page=4152 |date=5 July 1940 |nolink=yes}} He was Commander of the British occupation of Madagascar in 1942. He went on to be Commander of the Special Service Group (Commandos) in 1943. He was described as "intrepid in action, ruddy in countenance, and forcefully bucolic in language".Lockhart, p. 34. He retired in 1946.
References
;Notes
{{reflist}}
;Sources
- Survey of the Papers of Senior UK Defence Personnel, 1900–1975. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070728223354/https://kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/STURGES.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives].
- Lockhart, R. H. Bruce (1950). The Marines Were There: The Story of the Royal Marines in the Second World War. Putnam, London.
- Whitehead, Þór (1995). Milli vonar og ótta: Ísland í síðari heimsstyrjöld. Vaka-Helgafell, Reykjavík. {{ISBN|9979-2-0317-X}}.
- {{Cite book| first=Richard| last=Mead| title=Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II| year=2007| publisher=Spellmount| location=Stroud (UK)| isbn=978-1-86227-431-0}}
External links
- [https://generals.dk/general/Sturges/Robert_Grives/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]
- [https://www.unithistories.com/officers/RM_officersS.html#Sturges_RG Royal Marine Officers 1939−1945]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturges, Robert}}
Category:Royal Marines generals of World War II
Category:Military history of Madagascar
Category:Royal Marines personnel of World War I
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Category:Royal Marines Commando officers
Category:People from the Borough of Wokingham
Category:Royal Marines lieutenant generals
Category:People of the Gallipoli campaign