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 normall ...

Sir Robert Grice Sturges (14 July 1891 – 12 September 1970) was a senior

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

officer who fought in both 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 ...

and

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

Sturges joined the Royal Navy in 1908. Commissioned a sub-lieutenant on 15 May 1912, he transferred to the Royal Marines as a

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 ...

from the same date (confirmed on 19 December 1914). He served in the

, seeing action in the Gallipoli campaign and the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...

, and receiving promotion to captain on 30 January 1917. He was officially transferred to the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 30 January 1917. Between the wars, he was promoted to major on 17 June 1929, and to lieutenant colonel on 1 April 1936. He was brevetted

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and promoted to colonel on 3 April 1939 (seniority 31 December 1938). During the

he was the commander of the British occupation of Iceland in May 1940. He was promoted to acting

colonel commandant Colonel commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive military rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels. Today, the holder often has an honor ...

and temporary

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

on 4 June, and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

in July. He was Commander of the British occupation of

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

in 1942. He went on to be Commander of the Special Service Group (Commandos) in 1943. He was described as "intrepid in action, ruddy in countenance, and forcefully bucolic in language".Lockhart, p. 34. He retired in 1946.

References

;Notes ;Sources * ''Survey of the Papers of Senior UK Defence Personnel, 1900–1975''
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
* Lockhart, R. H. Bruce (1950). ''The Marines Were There: The Story of the Royal Marines in the Second World War''. Putnam, London. * Whitehead, Þór (1995). ''Milli vonar og ótta: Ísland í síðari heimsstyrjöld''. Vaka-Helgafell,

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

. . *

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturges, Robert Royal Marines generals of World War II Military history of Madagascar 1891 births 1970 deaths Royal Marines personnel of World War I Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Royal Marines Commando officers People from the Borough of Wokingham Royal Marines lieutenant generals People of the Gallipoli campaign Military personnel from Berkshire 20th-century Royal Navy personnel