Major-General Henry Maughan "Bill" Liardet (27 October 1906 – 8 February 1996) was a senior

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 ...

officer.

Military career

The son of a

officer, Major-General Claude Liardet, "Bill" Liardet was born in

Birkenhead Birkenhead () is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool. It lies within the Historic counties of England, historic co ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

on 27 October 1906. Like his father, Liardet was initially educated at

Bedford School Bedford School is a 7–18 Single-sex education, boys Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bed ...

, Liardet was commissioned into the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Royal Tank Corps The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War. Today, it is an armoured regiment equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks and structured under 12th A ...

in 1927, serving in India and Egypt between 1927 and 1938. In 1939, the year 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 ...

began, Liardet was in England attending the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

, which graduated early due to the war's beginning in September. During the war he served 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 ...

between 1939 and 1941 and commanded the

6th Royal Tank Regiment The 6th Royal Tank Regiment (6 RTR) was a regiment of the Royal Tank Regiment, of the British Army, until 1959. It originally saw action as 6th Battalion Tank Corps in 1917. First World War When tanks were first used in action in 1916, they wer ...

from 1942 until 1944. In 1945 he was appointed commander of the

25th Armoured Engineer Brigade Royal Engineers The 'B' Assault Brigade RAC/ RE.Joslen, p. 175 was founded on 5 January 1945, in Italy. The Brigade Headquarters was formed from redesignating the 25th Army Tank Brigade's headquarters to the 25th Armoured Assault Brigade Royal Engineers.Joslen, p. ...

. Between 1949 and 1950 he served as commander of the

8th Royal Tank Regiment The 8th Royal Tank Regiment (8 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1960. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as H Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917. In the Nor ...

and, between 1953 and 1956, as commander of the 23rd Armoured Brigade, during which he attended the

Imperial Defence College The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...

in 1955. From 1956 until 1958 he served as chief of staff to the British Joint Services Mission in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Later years and death

Liardet retired from the army in 1964. He died in 1996 at the age of 89.

References

External links

British Army Officers 1939−1945
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liardet, Bill 1906 births 1996 deaths Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies British Army major generals British Army brigadiers of World War II British military personnel of the Palestine Emergency Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Deputy lieutenants of Sussex Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Military personnel from Birkenhead People educated at Bedford School Royal Tank Regiment officers War Office personnel in World War II Royal Artillery officers