Rex Whitworth

Major-General Reginald Henry "Rex" Whitworth, CB, CBE (27 August 1916 – 22 May 2004) was a British Army officer.

Major-General Rex Whitworth CB CBE
Born	27 August 1916
Died	22 May 2004 (aged 87)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Rank	Major-General
Service number	124539
Commands	1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards Berlin Infantry Brigade North East District
Battles / wars	Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Military career

Educated at Eton College, Balliol College, Oxford, and the Queen's College, Oxford,^[1] Whitworth was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards on 5 March 1940.^[2][3] He served as a staff officer during the Second World War.^[1]

After the war he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards, in 1956, commander of the Berlin Infantry Brigade in October 1961 and deputy military secretary at the Ministry of Defence in February 1964.^[4] He went on to be General Officer Commanding, Yorkshire District in March 1966, General Officer Commanding North East District in March 1967 and Chief of Staff of Southern Command in June 1968 before retiring in September 1970.^[4]

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1964 New Year Honours^[5] and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1969 Birthday Honours.^[6]

In retirement he was a fellow and bursar of Exeter College, Oxford, from 1970 to 1981.^[1]

Family

In 1946 he married June Rachel Edwards; they had three sons and one daughter.^[1]

Works

• Whitworth, Rex (1958). Field Marshal Lord Ligonier: a Story of the British Army, 1702-1770. Clarendon Press.
• Whitworth, Rex (1988). Gunner at Large: The Diary of James Wood R.A. 1746-65. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-0850528848.
• Whitworth, Rex (1993). William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, a Life: Victor of Culloden. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-0850523546.