Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Sir Bertie Drew Burdett Fisher, (13 July 1878 – 24 July 1972) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

general during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Military career

Fisher was commissioned into the

17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regim ...

as second lieutenant on 23 May 1900, and served in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, during which he was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 29 July 1901. Following the end of the war, he returned from

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

to England in the ''SS Maplemore'' in August 1902. Fisher went to the Staff College in 1911. In 1913 he learned to fly, and became a

General Staff Officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

in the Military Aeronautics Department at the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

. He served in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, initially as a brigade major in the 6th Cavalry Brigade, which formed part of the British Expeditionary Force, and then, after serving as commander of the

Leicestershire Yeomanry The Leicestershire Yeomanry (Prince Albert's Own) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794 and again in 1803, which provided cavalry and mounted infantry in the Second Boer War and the First World War and provided two fie ...

in 1915, as general staff officer, grade 1 (GSO1), essentially

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

, of the 1st Cavalry Division, holding this post from August 1915 until January 1918. He was promoted to the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel while holding his appointment. He was then appointed commander of the 8th Infantry Brigade later in the year. After the war, Fisher was the commander of the 17th Lancers at the time of their amalgamation with the 21st Lancers in 1922. He took command of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade in 1923 and was the

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of the Senior Officer School in 1927. He was then a Brigadier on the General Staff at Aldershot Command from 1930 and Director Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office from 1932. He became Commandant of the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1934 and retired in 1938. He had been promoted to lieutenant general in June 1931. In February 1938 he succeeded General The Hon. Sir Herbert Lawrence as colonel of the 17th/21st Lancers. Fisher was recalled from retirement during the Second World War to be

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

-in-Chief for Southern Command from 1939 to 1940, when he retired again. He lived in

Basingstoke Basingstoke ( ) is a town in Hampshire, situated in south-central England across a valley at the source of the River Loddon on the western edge of the North Downs. It is the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status in the United King ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

.Boyd

Family

Fisher married Majorie Frances Boyd; they had two sons.

References

Bibliography

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External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Bertie 1878 births 1972 deaths British Army lieutenant generals British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army generals of World War II Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order 17th Lancers officers Leicestershire Yeomanry officers Commandants of Sandhurst British Army cavalry generals of World War I Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Commandants of the Senior Officers' School, Sheerness