Allegiance United Kingdom Education Eton College Years of service 1929–1969 Service/branch British Army | Name Kenneth Darling Rank General Died October 31, 1998 | |
Born 17 September 1909 ( 1909-09-17 ) Commands held II Corps
1st (British) Corps
Southern Command
Allied Forces Northern Europe Battles/wars Second World War
Cyprus Emergency Relations Major General Douglas Darling (brother) Awards Order of the British Empire, Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order Battles and wars World War II, Cyprus Emergency | ||
General Sir Kenneth Thomas Darling (17 September 1909 – 31 October 1998) was a senior British Army officer who served as Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1967 to 1969.
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Early life
Darling was born in India, the eldest son of George Kenneth Darling (1879–1964) of the Indian Civil Service and his wife Mabel Eleanor, née Burgess (d. 1952). His younger brother, Major General Douglas Lyall Darling (1914–1978), was also a distinguished soldier.
Military career
Educated at Eton College and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Darling was commissioned into the 7th Royal Fusiliers in 1929. He served in North West Europe during 1944 and 1945 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1945. He became Commander of the 5th Parachute Brigade in 1946, of the Airborne Forces Depot in 1948 and of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in 1950. He was Chief of Staff of I (British) Corps from 1955, General Officer Commanding II Corps from 1956 and then Deputy Director, Staff Duties at the War Office from 1957. He went on to be General Officer Commanding and Director of Operations Cyprus District in 1958, Director of Infantry in 1960 and General Officer Commanding I (British) Corps in 1962. His last appointments were as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Southern Command in 1964 and Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1967 until his retirement in 1969.
Darling was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1969, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1963, Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1957 and Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1957. He was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) from 1963 to 1968, Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment from 1965 to 1967, Honorary Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers from 1968 to 1974 and ADC General to the Queen during 1968 and 1969. He lived at Vicarage Farmhouse, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire. An Oxfordshire Blue Plaque commemorating him was unveiled on his house on 4 July 2015.
In 1941 Darling married Pamela Denison-Pender (1915-). His wife's sister, Cynthia, was married to the soldier and racing correspondent Roger Mortimer. He died on 31 October 1998.