George Gordon-Lennox

Not to be confused with Lord George Gordon-Lennox.

Lieutenant-General Sir George "Geordie" Charles Gordon-Lennox KBE CB CVO DSO (29 May 1908 – 11 May 1988) was a senior British Army officer who served during the Second World War.^[1]

Sir George Gordon-Lennox
Birth name	George Charles Gordon-Lennox
Nickname(s)	Geordie
Born	29 May 1908 Belgravia, London
Died	11 May 1988 (aged 79) Fochabers, Moray, Scotland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Years of service	1928–1966
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	39276
Unit	Grenadier Guards
Commands	Grenadier Guards 1st Guards Brigade 3rd Division Royal Military College, Sandhurst Scottish Command
Battles / wars	Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Order Military Cross

Military career

Gordon-Lennox was born at 30 Wilton Crescent, Belgravia,^[2] the eldest son of Lord Bernard Gordon-Lennox and a grandson of the 7th Duke of Richmond. His mother was Hon. Evelyn Loch, daughter of Henry Loch, 1st Baron Loch. His younger brother was Rear-Admiral Sir Sandy Gordon-Lennox. Their father was killed at the Second Battle of Ypres in 1914.^[1]

He was educated at Eton and was a Page of Honour to George V from 1921–1924.^[1]

After Eton, he trained at Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards in 1928.^[3]

He fought with the Grenadier Guards in the Second World War, in which he was wounded at the Battle of Anzio in 1944. He was awarded the DSO and mentioned in despatches.^[1]

In 1951, Gordon-Lennox was appointed Commanding Officer of the Grenadier Guards^[3] and in 1952 he was awarded the CVO. In 1952, he also became Commander of 1st Guards Brigade.^[3] He went on to be General Officer Commanding 3rd Division in 1959.^[3] In 1960 he became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and then Director-General of Military Training at the War Office in 1963.^[3] A year later, he was knighted and transferred to Scotland where he was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Scottish Command and Governor of Edinburgh Castle until 1966.^[3]

In 1965, he became Colonel of the Gordon Highlanders and his last post was in retirement, as King of Arms of the Order of the British Empire from 1968 until 1983.^[1]

Family

Gordon-Lennox married Nancy Brenda Darell, daughter of Sir Lionel Darell, 6th Baronet, and they went on together to have two sons (the eldest was Major-General Bernard Gordon Lennox).^[1][4]