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British military commander From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Brian Charles Hannam Kimmins, KBE, CB, DL (30 July 1899 – 15 November 1979) was a British military commander who served as the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District.
Sir Brian Kimmins | |
|---|---|
Kimmins in 1953 | |
| Born | 30 July 1899[1] Hendon, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 15 November 1979 (aged 80) Taunton, Somerset, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1958 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Service number | 1294 |
| Unit | Royal Field Artillery Royal Artillery |
| Commands | Northern Ireland District (1955–58) 44th (Home Counties) Division (1950–52) |
| Battles / wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches Legion of Honour (France) Croix de Guerre (France) |
| Relations | Charles William Kimmins (father) Grace Kimmins (mother) Anthony Kimmins (brother) |
Kimmins was born in Hendon, Middlesex (now North London), the son of psychologist Charles William Kimmins and Dame Grace Kimmins. He was the older brother of Anthony Kimmins.[2]
After graduating from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich on 28 September 1917,[3] Kimmins was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Field Artillery of the British Army, during the latter phases of the First World War.[4]
After the war he served in India and Egypt and became aide-de-camp to the High Commissioner for Egypt and the Sudan in 1928.[4] He became adjutant at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in 1930 and brigade major for the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division's 147th Infantry Brigade in 1935.[4] He then attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1938 to 1939.[4]
Kimmins served in the Second World War, initially as a General Staff Officer with the British Expeditionary Force in France before becoming an instructor at the Staff College in 1940,[4] and with it came the acting rank of lieutenant colonel (which was made temporary in November).[5] He was then, after being promoted to the acting rank of colonel and brigadier in December 1941,[5] appointed Deputy Director of Military Training at the War Office in London from December 1941 until May 1942 when he became a Brigadier on the General Staff of Southern Command from May until November.[4][5] He became Commander, Royal Artillery for the Guards Armoured Division in 1943 and Director of Plans for South East Asia Command in 1944.[4] He was finally Assistant Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia in 1945.[4] On 24 February 1945, towards the end of the war, he was promoted to the rank of major general.[6][5]
After the Second World War Kimmins became Chief of Staff at Headquarters Combined Operations in 1946 and Director of Quartering at the War Office in 1947.[4] He was appointed General Officer Commanding Home Counties District and GOC 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division in 1950 and Director of the Territorial Army and Cadets in 1952.[4] His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland District in 1955, which saw him promoted to lieutenant general.[4][5] He then retired from the army, after over forty years of military service, in August 1958.[4][5]
He died at the age of 80 the Somerset Nuffield Hospital in Taunton on 15 November 1979, leaving a wife and three children.[7]
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