Bernard Paget

General Sir Bernard Charles Tolver Paget GCB, DSO, MC (15 September 1887 – 16 February 1961) was a senior British Army officer who served in both the First and Second World Wars.

Military career
Paget was born in Oxford, the son of the Right Reverend Francis Paget, second son of Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet, and was educated at Shrewsbury School and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from 1905 to 1907. Paget was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in November 1907 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1910. On the outbreak of the First World War he was appointed adjutant of the new 5th (Service) Battalion with which he went to France in May 1915. He was awarded the Military Cross in November 1915 and the Distinguished Service Order in January 1918. He was four times mentioned in dispatches. Having been made brevet major in 1917, he was promoted to major in 1924 and brevet lieutenant-colonel in 1925. Paget was promoted to colonel in 1929 and became Commander of the depot at Cowley Barracks, Oxford in 1930. He was Chief Instructor at the Staff College, at Quetta, British India (now the Command and Staff College in Pakistan), from 1932 to 1934. Paget commanded the 4th Quetta Infantry Brigade from 1936 to 1937. He was promoted to major-general in December 1937 and was Commandant of the Staff College, Camberley between 1938 and 1939.

In November 1939 Paget took over command of the 18th Infantry Division until 1940. In the acting rank of lieutenant-general he commanded British forces in the withdrawal at Åndalsnes in Norway in 1940 during the Norwegian campaign. He was promoted to lieutenant general and made General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South-Eastern Command in 1941. He was knighted (KCB) at the end of the year. He went on to be GOC of GHQ Home Forces in the acting rank of general in December 1941. The rank of general was made permanent in July 1943. Paget commanded 21st Army Group prior to Bernard Montgomery taking over. In January 1944 he became Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command until October 1946, when he retired from the army. In December 1944 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the Polish government.

Paget was Colonel Commandant of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from October 1946 to September 1955 and Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 1949 to 1956. He lived in Petersfield, Hampshire.

He married Winifred Nora Paget on 7 February 1918 with whom he was to have two sons. His younger son, Lieutenant Tony Paget died on 5 March 1945 from wounds received whilst serving with the 1st Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (the 43rd) during the Battle of the Reichswald. He received a posthumous Distinguished Service Order for his gallantry during the battle.

General Sir Bernard Paget GCB, DSO, MC died on 16 February 1961.