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George Archibald William Stevens (1875-1951)


Colonel's son commanded 6th DLI awarded DSO


George Archibald William Stevens, the son of Colonel George Morton and Mary Eliza Stevens, was born in Southampton, Hampshire, on 3 November 1875. He had two brothers, both of whom were killed during the First World War, and a sister. He started his education at Victoria College, Jersey, before going on to the Eastmans Royal Naval Academy in Hampshire. He enlisted in the Scots Greys in March 1894 and on 2 November 1898 was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers. On 9 October 1899 he was promoted to lieutenant and served with the West African Regiment in Sierra Leone until April 1911, having been promoted to captain in 1904.

In the spring of 1907 he married Eugenie Rebecca MacDonald in Dublin and they had four sons, three of whom served during the Second World War. On 26 April 1912 he was appointed adjutant of the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) and on 19 April 1915 landed in France. He was Mentioned in Despatches in June and in September was promoted to major and ceased to be adjutant. In December he was promoted to acting lieutenant-colonel in command of 6th DLI until April 1916, being awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Mentioned in Despatches in January. In April he was appointed brigade major until July and for a few days was in command of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment. On 20 July he was given command of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and continued until he was wounded on 12 November 1917. During this period he had been appointed brevet lieutenant-colonel in January and Mentioned in Despatches on two further occasions. Later he was appointed brigade commander (temporary brigadier-general) of the 90th Infantry Brigade and continued in that role until 12 September 1919, having been made a Companion of the Oder of St. Michael and St. George in the Birthday Honours, Mentioned in Despatches once more and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre. On 29 April 1928 he went on to half-pay as a colonel, but returned to full pay on 15 September 1928 when he became an instructor at the Senior Officers’ School until 15 October 1930. He then went to Jamaica as Inspector-General of the West Indian Local Forces and Officer Commanding the Jamaican Local Brigade. He finally retired on 3 November 1932 as a brigadier-general and moved to Hampshire, where he died in 1951.

Birth date: 3-Nov-1875

Death date: 26-Apr-1951

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 3 Imperial Villas, St Saviours Road, St Saviours, Jersey (1881 census)
Eastmans R N Academy, Titchfield, Hampshire (1891 census)
Castle Barracks, Dover Castle, Kent (1901 census)
15 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, Gloucestershire (1911 census)
‘Hesperus’, Clarence Road, Southsea, Hampshire ( 1939 Register & England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1960)

Education: Victoria College, Jersey
Eastmans R. N. Academy, Titchfield, Hampshire (1891 census)

Family: Father: Colonel George Morton Stevens R.A.
Mother: Mary Eliza Stevens (nee MacLean)
Siblings: Reginald Walter Morton (Capt. Royal Irish Rifles, K.I.A. 27.8.14), Evelyne Brande & Lothian Basil Stevens( 2nd Lt. South Staffs., K.I.A. 9.5.15)
Wife: Eugenie Rebecca Stevens (nee MacDonald)
Sons: George Richard (Col. , O.B.E.), Cecil Archibald Henry, Reginald Lothian (2nd Lt. Lancs. Fusiliers, K.I.A. Dunkirk) & Terence Patrick Stevens (O.B.E, M.C., Major Royal Marines)

Military service:

Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) & 8th and 6th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry
Brigadier-General

Medal(s): Commander of the Order of St Michael & St George
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches (6)
Ashanti Medal
1914-1945 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal
General Service Medal 1920
Belgian Croix de Guerre

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards


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