John Yeldham Whitfield

John Yeldham Whitfield
Born	11 October 1899
Died	23 September 1971
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1918–1955
Rank	Major-General
Commands held	15th Brigade 56th (London) Division 50th (Northumbrian) Division
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Major-General John Yeldham Whitfield CB, DSO & Bar, OBE (11 October 1899 – 23 September 1971) was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding 50th (Northumbrian) Division.

Military career

Educated at Monmouth School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Whitfield was commissioned into the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on 20 December 1918.^[1] He served in the Second World War as commanding officer of a battalion of his regiment taking part in the North African Campaign in Spring 1943, the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 and the Battle for Monte la Difensa in December 1943.^[2] He became commander of 15th Brigade in January 1944 and took part in the Battle of Anzio in Spring 1944 and then became General Officer Commanding 56th (London) Division in July 1944 and took part in the attack on the Gothic Line in Autumn 1944 and the offensive in Italy in Spring 1945.^[2] After the War Whitfield became General Officer Commanding 50th (Northumbrian) Division and Northumbrian District in October 1946, Chief of Staff at Northern Command in January 1948^[3] and Inspector of Recruiting at the War Office in 1951 before he retired in 1955.^[2]

References

1. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31140. p. 1184. 23 January 1919.
2. "Major-General J Y Whitfield, CB, DSO, OBE". Queen’s Royal Surrets. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
3. "Senior Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 15 February 2016.