Years of service 1939–1976 Battles and wars World War II Battles/wars World War II Rank Lieutenant-general | Name Chandos Blair Service/branch British Army Education Harrow School Allegiance United Kingdom | |
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Commands held 4th Bn King's African Rifles
2nd Division
Scotland Awards Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross & Bar Died January 22, 2011, Gullane, United Kingdom | ||
Medals of Scottish war hero up for sale ✔
Lieutenant General Sir Chandos Blair & Bar (25 February 1919 – 22 January 2011) was a senior British Army officer who served as General Officer Commanding Scottish Command from 1972 to 1976.
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Military career
Born the son of Arthur Blair and educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Blair was commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders in 1939. He served in World War II with the 2nd and 7th Battalions of his regiment. His regiment was forced to surrender at Dunkirk, and he became a prisoner of war at the Oflag V-B camp at Biberach in Baden-Württemberg. He escaped to Switzerland and from there to Spain and to Gibraltar. As such he was the first officer to return home after escaping from a prisoner of war camp. Blair was awarded the Military Cross for his exploits.
In 1959, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion the King's African Rifles. He was made General Officer Commanding 2nd Division in British Army of the Rhine in 1968 and then became Defence Services Secretary in 1970. His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1972; in that capacity, Prime Minister Harold Wilson dispatched him as a Special Envoy to secure the release of Denis Hills, a British subject held on spying charges by President Idi Amin of Uganda. Blair retired in 1976.
Family
In 1947 he married Audrey Mary Travers; they went on to have one son and one daughter. His elder brother David was a useful amateur golfer and was best-man at the wedding of Chandos and Audrey.