Sidney Kirkman

Sir Sidney Kirkman
Kirkman in the 1960s.
Nickname(s)	"Kirkie"
Born	29 July 1895 Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Died	29 October 1982 (aged 87) Southampton, Hampshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1915–1950
Rank	General
Unit	Royal Artillery
Commands held	65th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division XIII Corps Southern Command I Corps
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross

General Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB KBE MC (29 July 1895 – 29 October 1982) was a senior British Army officer, who served in both the First World War and Second World War, where he commanded the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division during the Allied invasion of Sicily and XIII Corps in the Italian Campaign. He became Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department from 1954 to 1960.

Born in Bedford in July 1895 and educated at Bedford School, Bedfordshire, and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. During the First World War (1914–1918), Kirkman joined the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery in 1915 and was awarded the Military Cross during his time at the Western Front and later on the Italian Front and attained the rank of acting major while commanding a battalion.