Nigel Poett
| Sir Nigel Poett | |
|---|---|
Brigadier Poett conferring with General Sir Bernard Montgomery. Poett had just been decorated by the Commander of the United States First Army, General Omar Bradley on behalf of President Roosevelt at General Montgomery's Headquarters in Normandy.
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| Born | 20 August 1907 |
| Died | 29 October 1991 (aged 84) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Durham Light Infantry |
| Commands held |
Far East Land Forces (1961–63) Southern Command (1958–61) Staff College, Camberley (1957–58) 3rd Division (1952–54) 5th Parachute Brigade (1943–46) 11th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (1942–43) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar Silver Star (United States) |
North-West Frontier
Second World War
General Sir Joseph Howard Nigel Poett, KCB, DSO & Bar (20 August 1907 – 29 October 1991) was a British Army officer who commanded the 5th Parachute Brigade during the Second World War.
Poett was born on 20 August 1907, at a rented family house in Winterborne St. Martin, near the city of Dorchester. He was a twin, born at the same time as his sister Angela. Poett was the son of Julia Baldwin and Major General Joseph Howard Poett, who saw service in the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the Boer War, and was commanding the 1st Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment in British India when Poett was born. Shortly after his birth, Poett's family moved to India to join his father, and then in 1910 they moved, this time to Canada, where his father hoped to take up a new career in farming. However, the family did not take well to their Canadian surroundings, Poett's mother in particular missing her European friends, and in 1914 the family moved to Britain. Poett's father returned to service in the First World War, attaining the honorary rank of brigadier general.
Poett was first educated at a private boarding school, and then moved to Downside School, a Catholic public school. There he enjoyed a number of sports and joined the Officer Training Corps, but later regretted that he studied little of English language or Classical studies, instead being placed in a specialised class that focused on the mathematical and scientific skills required for pupils to join the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. After studying at Sandhurst, Poett opted to join the Durham Light Infantry, and was gazetted as an officer into the regiment on 1 September 1927.
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