Denis Bernard (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Sir Denis John Charles Kirwan Bernard, KCB, CMG, DSO (22 October 1882 – 25 August 1956) was a British Army officer who commanded the 3rd Infantry Division shortly before the outbreak of World War II. He was also Governor of Bermuda and General Officer Commanding the Bermuda Garrison.^[1]

Sir Denis Bernard
Born	22 October 1882[1][2] St George Hanover Square, London, England
Died	August 25, 1956(1956-08-25) (aged 73) Galway, Ireland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1902–1941
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	6014[3]
Unit	Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) Royal Ulster Rifles
Commands	3rd Division 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles
Battles / wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order

Early life and education

Bernard was born in London, the son of Percy Bernard MP. He was educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and commissioned into the British Army as a second lieutenant in the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) on 22 October 1902.^[4][5]

Career

Governor and General Officer Commanding, Lieutenant-General Sir Denis Bernard, inspects the First Contingent of the BVRC to the Lincolnshire Regiment at Prospect Camp on 22 June 1940.

He fought in World War I as a River Transport Officer with the British Expeditionary Force and then served in France, Gallipoli, Salonika and Egypt.^[5] He was made a GSO2 in November 1915^[6] and succeeded Brigadier General John Duncan as a GSO1 in April 1916.^[7]

He was appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles in 1927, Brigadier-General of the General Staff at Northern Command in India in 1930 and Director of Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office in 1934.^[5] His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding 3rd Division in 1936 before he retired in 1939.^[1][5]

In retirement he became Governor of the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Bermuda Garrison.^[5][8] While serving as Governor he had to consider proposals for American military bases there: these proposals were bitterly opposed by the local people at the time despite the war-time needs of the American military^[9] and he resigned at the request of the British Government in 1941 "to make way for a civilian".^[10] Bernard Park in Hamilton, Bermuda is named after him.^[11] His family home was Castle Hacket House in Galway,^[12] where he died in 1956, aged 73.^[1]