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Edmund AyronsaydBritish Field Marshal, Baron.
Date of Birth: 06.05.1880
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Sir Edmund Ironside
Sir Edmund Ironside, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, was a distinguished British field marshal and baron. He came from a family of military background, with his father being a military surgeon named William Ironside. After attending Tonbridge School, he furthered his education at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.
Military Career
Ironside began his military career in the artillery and later became involved in intelligence work during the Anglo-Boer War. His exploits in the field of espionage inspired the character of Richard Hannay in John Buchan's novel "The Thirty-Nine Steps."
During World War I, Ironside served in the staff of the 6th and 4th Canadian Divisions. In 1918, he commanded the 99th Brigade in France. Following the end of the war, he assumed command of the Allied forces in Archangel, Russia, from November 1918 to November 1919. Under his leadership, the troops mainly engaged in defensive actions and responded to requests for assistance from local peasants who were rebelling against the Bolsheviks.
Later Career
From 1920 to 1921, Ironside was the head of the British military mission in Eastern Hungary. He then served as the commander of the Ismailia Expeditionary Force in Iran from 1920 to 1921 and the North Persia Force from 1921 to 1922, pressuring the Persian Shah to dismiss all Russian officers from the Persian Cossack Brigade and appoint Reza Pahlavi as its commander. In 1921, he participated in organizing a coup that overthrew the previous Shah and brought Reza Pahlavi to power.
Ironside's subsequent roles included being the Commandant of the Staff College in Camberley from 1922 to 1926, the commander of the 2nd Division from 1926 to 1928, and the commander of the Meerut District in India from 1928 to 1931. He also held other positions such as Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Quartermaster General of the Indian Army.
In 1936, Ironside became the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Command and concurrently served as the Aide-de-Camp General to King George VI. He later became the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar in 1938 and the Inspector-General of Overseas Forces in 1939.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1939, Ironside was appointed as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff but retired from active service in 1941. As a result of his distinguished military career, he was honored with a baron title, becoming the first Baron Ironside.
Sir Edmund Ironside passed away in London in 1959. His military achievements and contributions are commemorated in various written works, including "Archangel, 1918-1919" by Constable, "General Ironside" by James Eastwood, "With Ironside in North Russia" by Andrew Soutar, "The Ironside Diaries, 1937-1940" edited by Roderick MacLeod and Denis Kelly, and "High Road to Command: The Diaries of Major General Sir Edmund Ironside, 1920-1922" edited by his son, the 2nd Baron Ironside.
