Thomas Pearson (British Army officer)

General Sir Thomas (Cecil Hook) Pearson KCB CBE DSO (born 1 July 1914) was Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe.

Military career
Educated at Charterhouse School, Pearson was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1934.

Her served in World War II initially as a Staff Captain in the Middle East before becoming Commanding Officer of 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade in 1942. He took part in the Battle of El Alamein, a turning-point in the War.

In 1943 he became a General Staff Officer first Force Headquarters and then in the Middle East. He was appointed Deputy Commander of 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group in 1944 and then Deputy Commander of 1st Airlanding Brigade in 1945.

After the War he was made Commanding Officer of 1st Bn Parachute Regiment in 1946 and Commanding Officer of 7th Bn Parachute Regiment in 1947.

He then became a General Staff Officer serving at the War Office, then at Malaya Headquarters and then at Headquarters Far East Land Forces.

He became an Instructor at the Joint Services Staff College in 1953, Commander of 45th Parachute Brigade in 1955 and Commander 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in 1957.

He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Director of Operations in Cyprus in 1960 and Head of the British Military Mission to the Soviet Zone of Germany in 1960. He was made General Officer Commanding 1st Division in 1961 and Chief of Staff for Northern Army Group in 1963. He became General Officer Commanding Far East Land Forces in 1967 and Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence in 1969. His final appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Northern Europe in 1972; he retired in 1974.

In June 2009 he was present at the unveiling of an updated display at the Royal Green Jackets Museum.