Allegiance United Kingdom Died 1976 Battles/wars World War II Battles and wars World War II | Name Francis Matthews Service/branch British Army Role British Army officer Rank Major-general | |
Commands held 168th Brigade
13th Brigade
185th Brigade
RMA Sandhurst
Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
1st Division Awards Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order | ||
Major General Francis Raymond Gage Matthews CB DSO (1903–1976) was Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong.
Military career
Matthews was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1923. He transferred to South Wales Borderers in 1935 while Aide-de-camp to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta.
He served in World War II as a General Staff Officer and then as Commanding Officer of a battalion within the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. He was made Director of Military Training for the Middle East in 1943 before becoming Commander of 168th Brigade and then Commander of 13th Brigade in Italy and then Commander of 185th Brigade in North West Europe. He was made General Officer Commanding a Division within British Army of the Rhine in 1945.
After the War he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and then Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong. He was made President of the Regular Commissions Board at the War Office in 1949 and General Officer Commanding 1st Division in 1950. He went on to be Director of Infantry at the War Office in 1952, Director of Civil Defence for Wales in 1956, Commandant of the Civil Defence Staff College in 1956 and Director of Civil Defence for the South West Region in 1960.
He was also Colonel of the South Wales Borderers from 1954 to 1961.