Sidney Kirkman

General Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB, KBE, MC (1895–1982) was a general in the British Armed Forces from 1944 to 1950 and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department from 1954 to 1960.

Biography
Kirkman was born in 1895 and educated at Bedford School and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. During the First World War, Kirkman was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Artillery in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross during his time at the Western Front and in Italy and attained the rank of acting major while commanding a battalion.

Between 1919 and 1930, Kirkman served with the British Army in Palestine, Malta and India. He was married in 1923, promoted to captain in January 1925 and major in March 1935. Between 1931 and 1932 he attended Staff College in Camberley, Surrey. He completed a two year staff posting in the rank of major to the RAF School of Co-operation in January 1938.

During the Second World War, Kirkman served as commanding officer of the 65 Medium Regiment of Royal Artillery from 1940 until 1941 in the acting rank of Brigadier (he held the substantive rank of major at the time, being promoted to lieutenant-colonel in May 1942 colonel in March 1944 and major-general in December 1944 ). Later in 1941 and 1942 he held the position of Commander Royal Artillery successively in I Corps, VII Corps, XII Corps and 56th (London) Infantry Division and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

In 1942, Kirkman was appointed Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) 8th Army (its chief gunnery officer) serving under General Bernard Montgomery during the Battle of El Alamein in Africa, 1942, a fact paid tribute to in Montgomery’s memoirs, and for which he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was appointed commander of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on promotion to acting major-general in April 1943 and led the division during Allied invasion of Sicily. After the Sicilian campaign the division was sent to the U.K. to prepare for the invasion of northwest Europe planned for 1944.

In January 1944 Kirkman was promoted to acting lieutenant-general (he was still only a substantive lieutenant-colonel) and appointed commander of 8th Army's XIII Corps in Italy. The Corps played a key role in the fourth and final battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944 and came under command of U.S. Fifth Army, fighting on its right wing in the assaults during the autumn and winter of 1944 on the Gothic Line and central Apennines. He was invalided back to the U.K. with severe arthritis in March 1945.

Throughout the period of 1945 to 1950, Kirkman was a member of Army Council, initially as GOC-in-Chief of Southern Command, then as of GOC-in-C I Corps in Germany and then as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the War Office. From 1947 he was Quartermaster-General to the Forces until 1950 when he retired from the army. He was promoted to full general in August 1947. Kirkman was honorary Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery from July 1947 until July 1957.

Kirkman became Special Financial Representative in Germany from 1951 until 1952. In 1954 he became Director General of Civil Defence and held this post until 1960. From 1957 until 1960 he was also Chairman of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council for England and Wales. He died 29 October 1982.

Army career
1915 Commissioned Royal Artillery 1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery I Corps 1941 Commander Corps Royal Artillery VII Corps 1942 Commander Corps Royal Artillery XII Corps 1942 Commander Royal Artillery 56th (London) Division 1942 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 8th Army, North Africa 1943 - 1943 Brigadier Royal Artillery 18th Army Group, North Africa 1943 - 1944 General Officer Commanding 50th Division, North Africa - Sicily - UK 1944 - 1945 General Officer Commanding XIII Corps, Italy 1945 General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command 1945 General Officer Commanding I Corps, Germany 1945 - 1947 Deputy Chief Imperial General Staff, War Office 1947 - 1950 Quartermaster-General to the Forces, War Office 1950 Retired