John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton
| The Lord Harding of Petherton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
10 February 1896 South Petherton, Somerset |
| Died | 20 January 1989 (aged 92) Nether Compton, Dorset |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1955 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands held |
Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1952–55) British Army of the Rhine (1951–52) Far East Land Forces (1948–51) Southern Command (1947–48) XIII Corps (1945) VIII Corps (1943–44) 7th Armoured Division (1942–43) 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (1939–40) |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War Malayan Emergency Cyprus Emergency |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
| Relations | John Harding, 2nd Baron Harding (son) |
Field Marshal Allan Francis "John" Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, MC (10 February 1896 – 20 January 1989) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First World War and the Second World War, served in the Malayan Emergency, and later advised the British government on the response to the Mau Mau Uprising. He also served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, and was Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957 during the Cyprus Emergency.
Born the son of Francis Ebenezer Harding and Elizabeth Ellen Harding (née Anstice) and educated at Ilminster Grammar School and King's College London, Harding started as a boy clerk in December 1911, earning promotion to assistant clerk in the Post Office in July 1913 and then to full clerk in the Second Division of the Civil Service in April 1914.
Harding became a part-time soldier, joining the 11th (County of London) Battalion (Finsbury Rifles) of the London Regiment, a unit of the British Army's Territorial Force, being commissioned as a second lieutenant on 15 May 1914. During the First World War (1914–1918) he was attached to the Machine Gun Corps and fought in the Gallipoli Campaign in August 1915. He transferred to the regular armed forces as a lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry on 22 March 1917 and was assigned to the Middle Eastern theatre of operations. He took part in the Third Battle of Gaza in November 1917 and was subsequently awarded the Military Cross.
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