Name Thomas Irvine | Died May 5, 1963 | |
BEC TESOL Testimonial Thomas Alexander Irvine
Colonel Thomas Alexander Irvine DSO TD DL was a Scottish career soldier and former Commander of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, leading the capture of Mandalay, Burma, during World War II.
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Born into the family of the iron and steel merchants Irvine Brothers of Glasgow, Thomas Alexander Irvine of Motherwell, Scotland, was educated at the Hamilton Academy.
Career
May 1932 - commissioned into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Territorial Army, joining the 6th (Lanarkshire) Battalion, the Cameronians as a 2nd Lieutenant
May 1935 - promoted to Lieutenant
June 1937 - promoted to Captain
September 1939 – promoted to Major, and second-in-command of the 10th Cameronians
October 1942 – August 1945 - held the rank of T/Lieutenant-Colonel
February 1945 - took command of the 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment at Legyi, Burma
May 1945 - awarded the DSO for his part in the crossing of the Irrawaddy River and capture of Mandalay.
March 1946 - awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration (and 1st Clasp in 1951)
April 1946 – appointed Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel
May 1947 – granted substantive rank for Lieutenant-Colonel
1948 – transferred from the active duty list to the TA officers' reserve list and appointed commandant of the county cadets; thereafter chairman of T.A.F.A. (Territorial and Aux. Forces' Association) in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
December 1950 – appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Lanark
August 1962 - granted the rank of Honorary Colonel on 22 August 1962 on retiring from the Army
Colonel Thomas Alexander Irvine died at Symington, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, on 5 May 1963.