Francis Tuker

Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ivan Simms Tuker KCIE CB DSO OBE (4 July 1894 – 7 October 1967) was a British Indian Army officer.

Military career
Educated at Brighton College, of which he was in later life a governor, Tuker was commissioned into the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1914.

He served in World War I transferring to 2nd Gurkhas in the Indian Army in 1914, and was commissioned a second lieutenant on 10 October. He served as an acting captain from 14 March to 12 April 1916, and was promoted to lieutenant on 17 August 1917 (back-dated to 1 September 1915). Promoted to captain on 14 January 1918, he took part in the Kuki Punitive expedition that year and in the North West Persia operations between 1920 and 1921. He was promoted to major on 14 January 1932, brevetted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 July 1933, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 February 1937, at which time he was appointed Commander of 1/2 Gurkhas. For his part in operations in Waziristan that year, he was appointed an OBE (Mil.) on 21 December and was mentioned in despatches in February 1938.

On 27 October 1939, a month after the outbreak of World War II, Tuker was promoted to full colonel (with seniority from 1 July 1936). He became Director of Military Training in India in 1940. A temporary brigadier by this time, he was appointed General Officer Commanding 34th Indian Division on 1 October 1941 with the acting rank of major-general. He took over Indian 4th Infantry Division on 30 December 1941 and then commanded it during the Western Desert and Italian Campaigns.

Promoted to temporary major-general on 1 October 1942, he was mentioned in despatches on 15 December 1942 and again on 24 June 1943. Promoted to major-general on 31 May 1943, he was appointed a CB on 5 August 1943.

In early 1944, towards the end of Tuker's time in Italy, during the fighting at Cassino allied commanders were engaged in a controversy regarding what action should be taken against the monastery at Monte Cassino. The Germans had designated it a military-free zone but many senior commanders were reluctant to believe that the Germans would not occupy such a strategically important position. Tuker had found a book dated 1879 in a Naples bookshop giving details of the construction of the monastery at Monte Cassino which his division had been tasked to attack. He wrote a memorandum to his Corps commander, concluding that regardless of whether the monastery was currently occupied by the Germans, it should be demolished to prevent its effective occupation. He also pointed out that with 150 foot (45 m) high walls made of masonry at least 10 feet (3 m) thick, there was no practical means for field engineers to deal with the place, and that bombing with "blockbuster" bombs would be the only solution since 1,000 pound bombs would be "next to useless". The theatre commander, General Harold Alexander, agreed to the bombing (which did not employ blockbuster bombs) and the ruins were occupied by German forces which held the position until 18 May.

Tuker commanded the 4th Indian Division until 4 February 1944 when he became seriously ill and for nearly a year took no part in the war. While recovering he assumed light duties in September 1944 becoming Chairman of the Frontier Commission in India. Once recovered he was given in January 1945 the Ceylon Army command in the acting rank of lieutenant-general and in 14 July 1945 he was put in temporary command of the IV Corps in Burma while Frank Messervy took leave for a month. For his service in Burma he received his final mention in despatches in September 1946.

Tuker reverted to his substantive rank of major-general and after taking some leave himself, became Commander, Lucknow District in November 1945. Knighted with the KCIE in the 1946 New Year Honours, he was promoted once more to acting lieutenant-general on 21 January and appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, India. Promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant-general on 15 November 1946, he retired on 25 April 1948 and died in 1967. There is a memorial tablet to him in the chapel of Brighton College, below which hangs his sword; at its dedication, the band of the Brigade of Gurkhas beat retreat on the school's playing field.

Tuker's nickname in the army was "Gertie". He is known for a number of books on military history that he wrote, including The Pattern of War, While Memory Serves and The Yellow Scarf. In his book The Pattern of War he argues that Warfare follows a definite pattern.