Philip Gregson-Ellis

Major-General Philip George Saxon Gregson-Ellis CB OBE (31 August 1898 – 20 October 1956) was a senior British Army officer who saw active service during both the First World War and the Second World War, where he commanded the 5th Infantry Division during the Italian Campaign in 1944.

Philip Gregson-Ellis
Gregson-Ellis in 1923
Born(1898-08-31)31 August 1898
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died20 October 1956(1956-10-20) (aged 58)
Kent, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1917–1950
RankMajor-general
Service number15399
UnitGrenadier Guards
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards

Military career

Born in 1898, Philip Gregson-Ellis was educated Eton College and later entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and from there was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the British Army's Grenadier Guards in 1917, towards the end of the First World War.[1][2]

He remained in the army after the war, and, during the interwar period, attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1928 to 1929[2] and, after serving as brigade major of the 5th Infantry Brigade in 1931, served in the same role with the 1st Guards Brigade from 1932 to 1934.[2] He was then appointed an instructor at the Staff College in 1937.[3][2]

General Sir Harold Alexander with Major-General Lucian Truscott and other senior Allied commanders at Anzio, Italy, 5 May 1944. Major-General John Hawkesworth is pictured on the far right wearing a parachutist helmet, and to the left of him is Major-General Philip Gregson-Ellis.

He served in the Second World War as a General Staff Officer (GSO) with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France before becoming Commanding Officer (CO) of the 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards in 1940.[3] He continued his war service as a Brigadier on the staff in Northern Ireland from 1941 and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Home Forces in 1942 before taking command of the 30th Armoured Brigade in January 1943, and then the 1st (Guards) Brigade in July, which was then serving in North Africa.[3][2] He was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) 5th Infantry Division in January 1944 and commanded the division in the Italian campaign, leading it in the Battle of Anzio and Operation Diadem.[3][2]

After the war he returned to the Staff College, Camberley, as commandant and then went back to the 5th Division for a second tour as its commander.[3] He was appointed GOC 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division in 1947 and finally retired from the British Army in 1950.[3][2]

Family

In 1921 he married Joan Henllys Lloyd.[4][2]

References
  1. "No. 30438". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 December 1917. p. 13335.
  2. Smart 2005, p. 130.
  3. "Gregson-Ellis, Philip". Generals.dk. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. Bronwydd Estate Records

Bibliography
  • Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
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