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General Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman (29 July 1895 – 29 October 1982) was a senior officer of the British Army, and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department from 1954 to 1960. ==Biography== Kirkman was born in 1895 and educated at Bedford School and later at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.〔(Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives ) King's College London〕 During the Great War, Kirkman was commissioned as an officer 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〔New York Times archive (November 7, 1982 ) retrieved on 13 March 2007〕 and attained the rank of acting major while commanding a battalion. Between 1919 and 1930, Kirkman served with the British Army in Palestine, Malta and India. He was married in 1923, promoted to captain in January 1925 and major in March 1935. Between 1931 and 1932 he attended Staff College in Camberley, Surrey.〔 He completed a two-year staff posting in the rank of major to the RAF School of Co-operation in January 1938. During the Second World War, Kirkman served as commanding officer of the 65th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery from 1940 until 1941 in the acting rank of Brigadier (he held the substantive rank of major at the time, being promoted to lieutenant-colonel in May 1942 colonel in March 1944 and major-general in December 1944). Later in 1941 and 1942 he held the position of Commander Royal Artillery successively in I Corps, VII Corps, XII Corps and 56th (London) Infantry Division and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire.〔 In 1942, Kirkman was appointed Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) Eighth Army (its chief gunnery officer) serving under General Bernard Montgomery during the Second Battle of El Alamein in the North African Campaign, 1942, a fact paid tribute to in Montgomery’s memoirs,〔 and for which he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He was appointed commander of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on promotion to acting major-general in April 1943 and led the division during Allied invasion of Sicily. After the Sicilian campaign the division was sent to the United Kingdom to prepare for the invasion of France planned for 1944.〔Blaxland, pp.22–23〕 In January 1944 Kirkman was promoted to acting lieutenant-general (he was still only a substantive lieutenant-colonel) and appointed commander of Eighth Army's XIII Corps, fighting in Italy.〔 The XII Corps played a key role in the fourth and final battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944 and came under command of the United States Fifth Army, fighting on its right wing in the assaults during the autumn and winter of 1944 on the Gothic Line and central Apennines. He was invalided back to the United Kingdom with severe arthritis in March 1945.〔Blaxland, p.248〕 Throughout the period of 1945 to 1950, Kirkman was a member of Army Council, initially as GOC-in-Chief of Southern Command, then as of GOC-in-C I Corps in Germany〔 and then as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the War Office. From 1947 he was Quartermaster-General to the Forces until 1950 when he retired from the army. He was promoted to full general in August 1947. Kirkman was honorary Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery from July 1947 until July 1957. Kirkman became Special Financial Representative in Germany from 1951 until 1952. In 1954 he became Director General of Civil Defence and held this post until 1960. From 1957 until 1960 he was also Chairman of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council for England and Wales. He died 29 October 1982.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sidney Kirkman」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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