Gerald Templer

Sir Gerald Templer
General Sir Gerald Templer in Malaya, 1953
Nickname(s)	"Tiger of Malaya"
Born	(1898-09-11)11 September 1898 Colchester, Essex
Died	25 October 1979(1979-10-25) (aged 81) Chelsea, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1916–1958
Rank	Field Marshal
Unit	Royal Irish Fusiliers Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
Commands held	Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1955–58) Eastern Command (1950–52) 6th Armoured Division (1944) 56th (London) Infantry Division (1943–44) 1st Infantry Division (1943) XI Corps (1943) II Corps (1942–43) 47th (London) Infantry Division (1942) 210th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home) (1940–41) 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (1940)
Battles/wars	First World War Arab revolt Second World War Malayan Emergency
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (2) Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) Commander of the Order of Leopold II (Belgium) Croix de guerre (Belgium) Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands) Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (Malaya)

Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer, KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE, DSO (11 September 1898 – 25 October 1979) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First World War and the Second World War, where he commanded the 56th (London) Infantry Division during the Italian Campaign. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in Malaya between 1952 and 1954. As Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) from 1955–58, he was Prime Minister Anthony Eden's chief military adviser during the Suez Crisis.

Born the son of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Francis Templer and Mabel Eileen Templer (née Johnston) and educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Templer joined the British Army during the First World War and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into his father's regiment, the Royal Irish Fusiliers, on 16 August 1916. He was promoted to lieutenant on 16 February 1918.