Sir Mervyn Butler | |
---|---|
Born | 1 July 1913 |
Died | 3 January 1976 | (aged 62)
Buried | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1933–1976 |
Rank | General |
Service number | 58182 |
Unit |
South Lancashire Regiment Parachute Regiment Suffolk Regiment |
Commands held |
Army Strategic Command I (British) Corps Staff College, Camberley 2nd Division 16th Independent Parachute Brigade |
Battles/wars |
Second World War Cyprus Emergency Suez Crisis |
Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches |
General Sir Mervyn Andrew Haldane Butler, KCB, CBE, DSO & Bar, MC (1 July 1913 – 3 January 1976) was a British Army officer who served as Commander-in-Chief Strategic Command.
Mervyn Butler was educated at St Columba's College, Rathfarnham, Ireland and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. [1] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the South Lancashire Regiment on 4 February 1933 [2] [1] and was promoted to lieutenant on 2 February 1936. [3] He was again promoted, this time to captain, on 2 February 1941. [4] He transferred to the Parachute Regiment and served with distinction during the Second World War, being awarded both the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross for his services. [5] He transferred to the Suffolk Regiment on 20 July 1946. [6] [1]
Butler commanded the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade from 1955 to 1957. [1] During the Suez Crisis elements of the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade led by Butler and a contingent of the Royal Tank Regiment set off south along the canal bank on 6 November 1956 to capture Ismailia. Just before midnight Butler was ordered to stop on the hour, when a ceasefire would come into effect. This raised a difficulty. There were Egyptian forces ahead; the British column was in open desert with no defensible feature to hand. Butler compromised, advancing until 0:15 am on 7 November 1956 to reach El Cap, where he sited the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, with supporting detachments. [7] He was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Order on 13 June 1957. [8]
Butler was General Officer Commanding 2nd Division from 1962 to 1964. [9]
In 1964 Butler was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Studies (Joint Warfare) and then in 1966 went on to be Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley. [5] From 1968 to 1970 he was General Officer Commanding 1 (British) Corps. He was General Officer Commanding Army Strategic Command from 1970 to 1971 before going on to serve as Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from January 1972 to 1973. [5] He was promoted to general on 14 January 1972. [10] He was also Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1967 to 1972. [11]
Butler was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for service in Cyprus in 1957, [12] a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1964 New Year Honours, [13] and advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1968 New Year Honours. [14]
On his death in 1976 Butler was buried in Aldershot Military Cemetery.