Major-General Gerald Charles Hopkinson CB DSO OBE MC (27 May 1910 – 2 June 1989) was a British Army officer who commanded the 4th Division after seeing service in World War II.
Gerald Hopkinson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gerald Charles Hopkinson |
| Born | 27 May 1910[1] Wellington, Somerset, England[2] |
| Died | 2 June 1989 (aged 79) Osborne House, Isle of Wight |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1930–1962 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Service number | 47586 |
| Unit | Royal Tank Regiment |
| Commands held | 44th Royal Tank Regiment 4th Mechanized Brigade 1st Royal Tank Regiment 33rd Armoured Brigade 4th Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross |
Early life edit
Hopkinson was born in Wellington, Somerset to Captain Charles Reginald Thompson Hopkinson of the East Surrey Regiment, who was killed in action in September 1914, a month after the British entry into World War I, and Beryl Mary Stewart.[3][4]
Military career edit
Educated at Haileybury,[5] Hopkinson was commissioned in to the Royal Tank Corps in 1930.[6] He served in World War II[7] as Commanding Officer of the 44th Royal Tank Regiment[8] and then, briefly, as acting Commander of 4th Armoured Brigade in early 1945.[9] He became Commanding Officer of 1st Royal Tank Regiment in 1952.[10] He was appointed Commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade in 1953, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 4th Division in 1957 and Director of the Royal Armoured Corps in 1959 before retiring in 1962.[11]
References edit
- ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
- ^ 1911 England Census
- ^ Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813–1914
- ^ Clutterbuck, L. A.; Dooner, W. T. (1914). The Bond of Sacrifice: A Biographical Record of All British Officers who Fell in the Great War. Anglo-African Pub. Contractors. pp. 194–195. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ Military Crosses - Haileybury
- ^ "No. 33639". The London Gazette. 29 August 1930. p. 5361.
- ^ Recommendations for Honours and Awards
- ^ Chadwick (1970), The Royal Tank Regiment, p114
- ^ Orders of Battle Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "1 Royal Tank Regiment Commanding Officers". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine