William Pike (British Army officer)
| Sir William Pike | |
|---|---|
| Born |
24 June 1905 Scarborough, Yorkshire |
| Died |
10 March 1993 (aged 87) Alton, Hampshire |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1925-1963 |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Suez Crisis |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order |
Lieutenant General Sir William Gregory Huddleston Pike KCB CBE DSO (24 June 1905 – 10 March 1993) was a British Army officer who became Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff.
Military career
Pike entered Bedford School in 1914 and was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1925.[1] He served with the Indian Army until 1936[1] and fought in World War II taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation[2] and commanding the 77th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery during the landings in Morocco and Algeria in March 1943.[2] On 11 March 1944, Pike was promoted to Brigadier and appointed to command 59th Army Group Royal Artillery, a headquarters that was about to embark for the Far East. On arrival at the Ranchi training area, 59 AGRA and the artillery regiments placed under Pike's command prepared for an amphibious assault on the coast of Malaya, which was called off after the Surrender of Japan.[3]
Pike later served in the Korean War as Divisional Commander, Royal Artillery for 1st Commonwealth Division.[1] He was appointed Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in 1954 - a post he held during the Suez Crisis,[4] Chief of Staff for Far East Land Forces in 1957 and Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1960[5] before retiring in 1963.[1] He was also Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery from 1962 to 1970.[1]
Family
He married Josie Tompson; their son is Lieutenant General Sir Hew Pike.[2] His brother was Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- 1 2 3 Blundell, Nigel (9 November 2008). "Our family at war: How four generations of the Pikes fought in four conflicts since WW1". The Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 14 March 2009.
- ↑ 59 AGRA War Diary, February–December 1945, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 172/7515.
- ↑ Obituary: Lieutenant General Sir William Pike The Independent, 18 March 1993
- ↑ Army commands
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir William Stratton |
Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff 1960–1963 |
Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Baker |