Kenneth Darling
| Sir Kenneth Thomas Darling | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 September 1909 |
| Died | 31 October 1998 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1929–1969 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
II Corps 1st (British) Corps Southern Command Allied Forces Northern Europe |
| Battles/wars |
Second World War Cyprus Emergency |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
| Relations | Major General Douglas Darling (brother) |
General Sir Kenneth Thomas Darling GBE, KCB, DSO (17 September 1909 – 31 October 1998) was a senior British Army officer who served as Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1967 to 1969.
Early life
Darling was born in India,[1] the eldest son of George Kenneth Darling (1879–1964) of the Indian Civil Service and his wife Mabel Eleanor, née Burgess (d. 1952). His younger brother, Major General Douglas Lyall Darling (1914–1978), was also a distinguished soldier.
Military career
Educated at Eton College and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Darling was commissioned into the 7th Royal Fusiliers in 1929.[1] He served in North West Europe during 1944 and 1945 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1945. He became Commander of the 5th Parachute Brigade in 1946, of the Airborne Forces Depot in 1948 and of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in 1950.[1] He was Chief of Staff of I (British) Corps from 1955, General Officer Commanding II Corps from 1956 and then Deputy Director, Staff Duties at the War Office from 1957.[1] He went on to be General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations Cyprus District in 1958,[2] Director of Infantry in 1960 and General Officer Commanding I (British) Corps in 1962.[1] His last appointments were as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Southern Command in 1964 and Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1967 until his retirement in 1969.[1]
Darling was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1969, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1963, Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1957 and Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1957. He was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) from 1963 to 1968,[3] Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1965 to 1967, Honorary Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers from 1968 to 1974 and ADC General to the Queen during 1968 and 1969. He lived at Vicarage Farmhouse, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire. An Oxfordshire Blue Plaque commemorating him was unveiled on his house on 4 July 2015.[4]
In 1941 Darling married Pamela Denison-Pender (1915-). His wife's sister, Cynthia, was married to the soldier and racing correspondent Roger Mortimer. He died on 31 October 1998.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Arthur, Max (12 November 1998). "Obituary: General Sir Kenneth Darling". London: The Independent. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ↑ "CYPRUS: In the Front Line". Time. 24 November 1958. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ↑ "Royal Fusiliers colonels". British Empire. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ↑ "General Sir Kenneth Darling (1909–1998)". Oxfordshire Blue Plaques. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
Sources
- Who Was Who Volume X 1996–2000 (2001)
- The Red Devils GG Norton (Leo Cooper Famous Regiment Series)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Charles Jones |
GOC 1st (British) Corps 1962–1963 |
Succeeded by Sir Richard Goodwin |
| Preceded by Sir Robert Bray |
GOC-in-C Southern Command 1964–1966 |
Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Baker |
| Preceded by Sir Robert Bray |
Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe 1967–1969 |
Succeeded by Sir Walter Walker |
| Preceded by Francis Rome |
Colonel of the Royal Fusiliers 1963–1968 |
Succeeded by Regiment disbanded |
| Preceded by New regiment |
Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 1968–1974 |
Succeeded by George Harris Lea |