Major General Aubrey Ellis Williams CBE, DSO & Bar, MC (19 May 1888 – 25 March 1977) was a senior British Army officer who served in both the First World War and Second World War.

Military career

The son of a British Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel D. E. Williams, Aubrey Williams was born on 19 May 1888 and was educated at Monmouth School for Boys. ^[1] He later entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the South Wales Borderers on 9 October 1907. ^{[2] [1]} He was promoted to lieutenant on 9 June 1909. ^[3]

Williams fought in the First World War and received a promotion to the rank of captain on 22 October 1914. ^{[4] [1]} After seeing action in the Gallipoli campaign, ^[5] and after being awarded the Military Cross (MC) in 1916, ^[6] he served as a staff officer with the 30th Division on the Western Front, earning recognition with his appointment as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). ^[7] The citation for his DSO reads: ^[8]

At Menin, on October 14th, 1918, he made a very bold reconnaissance of the river crossings in face of considerable shell and machine-gun fire and forward of all our infantry posts, thus enabling a bridge to be thrown over at the earliest opportunity. Though badly concussed by a 5-9 inch bursting within a few feet of him, he still continued at duty. His fearlessness at all times was a fine example to all ranks.

He was wounded twice and was also mentioned in despatches five times during his service in the First World War. ^[1]

Williams also saw action during the Waziristan campaign in late 1937 earning him a bar to his DSO in August 1938. ^{[9] [5]}

He became commander of the 160th Infantry Brigade, part of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, in February 1939 ^[10] and, in April 1940, seven months after the outbreak of the Second World War, went with his brigade to Northern Ireland where it was mainly involved in anti-invasion duties and exercises training to repel a potential German invasion of Northern Ireland. ^[11] After being promoted to the permanent rank of major general on 10 May (with his seniority dating back to 23 July 1938) ^[12] he became General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 38th (Welsh) Division in the United Kingdom that same day before retiring from the army in October. ^[10]

In retirement he was local President of the Royal British Legion on the Isle of Wight. ^[5]

References

Bibliography

• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN  1844150496.

External links

• Generals of World War II