Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. I ...

Edwin William Conquest Flavell DSO, MC & Two Bars (22 February 1898 – 29 November 1993) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

who served in both

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He served with great distinction during the latter, where he commanded the 1st Parachute Brigade in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

and the 6th Airlanding Brigade in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, before becoming Deputy Chief of Staff HQ

First Allied Airborne Army The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary For ...

Family background

Flavell was born on 22 February 1898 at 15 Stansfield Road, Stockwell, London.''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' obituary, dated 22 December 1993, and most other sources, gives the place of birth as Cookham, Berks. The place of birth is verified from the birth certificate. He was educated at

King's College School King's College School, also known as Wimbledon, KCS, King's and KCS Wimbledon, is a public school in Wimbledon, southwest London, England. The school was founded in 1829 by King George IV, as the junior department of King's College London an ...

Wimbledon, London Wimbledon () is a district and town of Southwest London, England, southwest of the centre of London at Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,187 in 2011 which includes ...

. Flavell died on 29 November 1993 aged 95. Some sources give 8 November or 1 December 1993 as the date of death. He was the son of Edwin George Flavell and Emily Eliza Flavell (née Conquest) born 1870 and 1874 respectively. The 1911 Census, dated 2 February, shows his father was a commercial clerk and that he had an older sister named Constance Lillian Flavell (1896–1978). Constance was a cashier in a drapery store or manufacturing outlet at the time. Edwin's younger brother, George Channell Flavell, was born in July 1911. Edwin Flavell married Nora Alice Cooper in 1920, they had two sons and one daughter. Both of Edwin's sons served during

: Edwin James George "Ted" Flavell (1922–2014) was a Squadron Leader in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

and James Sydney Channel "Jim" Flavell (1924–2008) served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the

2nd Parachute Battalion The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), is a battalion-sized formation of the Parachute Regiment, part of the British Army, and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade whose Commanding Officer for the period 2013-2016 was L ...

– Middlesex Regiment. Both brothers were at the ill-fated

Battle of Arnhem The Battle of Arnhem was a battle of the Second World War at the vanguard of the Allied Operation Market Garden. It was fought in and around the Dutch city of Arnhem, the town of Oosterbeek, the villages Wolfheze and Driel and the vicinity f ...

in 1944 where unfortunately, Jim was captured by Germans and remained a prisoner of war until 1945. In 1956,

Ted TED may refer to: Economics and finance * TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar Education * ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association ** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey ** Transvaal Education Depa ...

carried out the first British air drop of an atomic bomb during

Operation Buffalo Operation Buffalo may refer to: * Operation Buffalo, 1944 military operation, part of the Battle of Anzio in WW2 * Operation Buffalo (1956), four open-air nuclear tests at Maralinga, South Australia * Operation Buffalo (1967), a Vietnam War opera ...

Maralinga, South Australia Maralinga, in the remote western areas of South Australia, was the site, measuring about in area, of British nuclear tests in the mid-1950s. In January 1985 native title was granted to the Maralinga Tjarutja, a southern Pitjantjatjara Aborigi ...

. Sadly, Edwin's father passed away at a young age of 49 in 1920. Six years later his mother, Emily Eliza Flavell, and his younger brother George, emigrated from England to New Zealand. They departed from Southampton, aboard the ship 'Hororata' on 10 April 1926, when George Channell Flavell was just 14 years old. Now grown, the elder children Constance Lillian and Edwin William Conquest Flavell, remained in England. Edwin's mother passed away at age 66 in 1940 and she is buried in Auckland, New Zealand. Edwin Flavell married a second time in 1971 to Kathleen Emily Fenton an accomplished concert pianist. In the Ickenham Lodge No. 5770 (Middlesex) Members' Record Book, at the Consecration of the Lodge on 27 February 1939, it is noted that his occupation was "company director", then living at his Hampstead address.

Military career

First World War

In 1914, during

, at the age of 17, Edwin William Conquest Flavell enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment and was commissioned as a second lieutenant five months later. In 1916 he transferred to the newly formed

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks ...

, and in 1917 he was believed to be the youngest major serving in the Flanders area at the age of 20. He was wounded during the Battle of Cambrai in the same year, and by the end of the conflict had been awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

a total of three times (referred to as the Military Cross and two Bars). The first was awarded for taking command of an infantry company that had lost all of its officers; by his leadership the unit was able to continue advancing. The second (his first bar) was for conducting several personal reconnaissances of enemy positions. In mid-March 1918, Flavell was transferred from the

19th (Western) Division The 19th (Western) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of Kitchener's Army, formed in the Great War. Formation history The 19th (Western) Division was created under Western Command in September 1914, shortly after th ...

to the

42nd (East Lancashire) Division The 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force (TF), originally as the East Lancashire Division, and was redesignated as the 42nd (Ea ...

, where he took command of the 126th Machine Gun Company; one of the officers in the company was his future commanding officer,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

(later

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

)

Richard Nelson Gale General Sir Richard Nelson "Windy" Gale, (25 June 1896 – 29 July 1982) was a senior officer in the British Army who served in both world wars. In the First World War he was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 whilst serving as a junior officer ...

. On 21 March the Germans launched

Operation Michael Operation Michael was a major German military offensive during the First World War that began the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was t ...

, a major offensive against the British Army, and the 42nd Division moved into the frontline near Bapaume, replacing the

46th (North Midland) Division The 46th (North Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, that saw service in the First World War. At the outbreak of the war, the 46th Division was commanded by Major-General Hon. E.J. Mont ...

who had taken heavy casualties. The offensive was repulsed, and by the end of August the division had advanced towards the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 1916 ...

. Forming a part of the

British Third Army The Third Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I that saw active service on the Western Front throughout the war. First World War The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 ...

, the division then made rapid advances towards Bapaume and by the end of September had reached the Hindenburg Line; on 27 September Flavell's brigade, the 126th (East Lancashire), was tasked with capturing Highland Ridge, near Havrincourt Wood. The next day, after the brigade had reached the top of the ridge, Gale's machine gun section sighted in on two German field guns moving parallel to their position; they sighted in on the horses leading the guns, but just before they could open fire, Flavell arrived. According to Gale, "Flavell could not resist and, firing one of the guns himself, he brought down the leading horses;" the crews fled and the section was able to capture the two guns. This action resulted in Flavell being awarded his third Military Cross (second bar).

Second World War

During the interwar period Flavell remained on the active list of the East Surrey Regiment, but became involved in the shipping industry with a business partner from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. When the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

broke out in September 1939, Flavell was recalled to the

and subsequently given command of the 2/7th Middlesex Regiment. He saw service during the Battle of France in 1940, and was then given the task of raising the 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion. On 22 June 1940, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

, created the British airborne establishment when he directed the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

in a memorandum to investigate the possibility of creating a

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

of 5,000 parachute troops. In 1941 the 1st Parachute Brigade was formed, with

Richard N. Gale, Flavell's former commanding officer, as its commander. Gale selected Flavell, now a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

, to raise and then command the

which would form part of the brigade. His adjutant was Captain John D. Frost, who would later become famous for commanding the battalion during the

; both men qualified as parachutists in October 1941. In January 1942 Flavell gave Frost command over

Operation Biting Operation Biting, also known as the Bruneval Raid, was a British Combined Operations raid on a German coastal radar installation at Bruneval in northern France, during the Second World War, on the night . Several of these installations were id ...

, a raid on a radar station on the French coast near

Bruneval Saint-Jouin-Bruneval is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography A farming village in the Pays de Caux, situated some north of Le Havre, at the junction of the D940, D139 and D111 roads. ...

; the raid, which took place in February, was successful and brought back vital technology. 6th Airborne Personnel

In the spring of 1942 Gale was promoted to deputy director of Staff Duties at the War Office, and he passed command of the brigade over to Flavell. Flavell, promoted to brigadier, transferred command of 2nd Parachute Battalion to Major Gofton-Salmond, and in the beginning of November the brigade was sent to North Africa as part of Operation Torch. Because of a shortage of aircraft, the

3rd Parachute Battalion The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne light infantry unit, the battalion is capable ...

was forced to travel separately from the brigade, arriving on 11 November;Thompson, p. 57 the rest of the brigade, including Flavell, arrived the next day.Otway, p. 75 He commanded the brigade for the whole of the period that it fought in North Africa, and was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

at the end of the brigade's service in the theatre; the citation stated that Flavell and the brigade had "fought magnificently and set a standard to the

1st Army First Army may refer to: China * New 1st Army, Republic of China * First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War * 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China Germany * 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...

difficult to emulate." Under his command the brigade had sustained 1,700 casualties and taken more than 3,500

Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

s, as well as winning eight Distinguished Service Orders, fifteen

es, nine

Distinguished Conduct Medal The Distinguished Conduct Medal was a decoration established in 1854 by Queen Victoria for gallantry in the field by other ranks of the British Army. It is the oldest British award for gallantry and was a second level military decoration, ranki ...

s and twenty-two

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

s. Flavell had a difficult time commanding the brigade while it was in North Africa. He was hampered by the fact that there were no senior officers who knew how to use airborne forces properly and efficiently, meaning that the airborne missions that were given to the brigade were often unsuitable to its abilities.Frost, p. 171 The same problems occurred when it was used in a ground role, for which it was considered to be unsuited, and Flavell found it difficult to prevent this occurring. The brigade ended its operations in North Africa in mid-April 1943, and Flavell left for England in June to take up a new command. He was replaced as commander of 1st Parachute Brigade by Brigadier Gerald W. Lathbury. He became commander, Airborne Establishments, which was tasked with promoting closer cooperation with the

as well as providing reinforcements for the 1st Airborne Division and aiding in the creation of the

Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade The 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade was a parachute infantry brigade of the Polish Armed Forces in the West under the command of Major General Stanisław Sosabowski, created in September 1941 during the Second World War and based in ...

. Then on 12 June 1944, he was given command of the 6th Airlanding Brigade, part of the 6th Airborne Division, commanded by Major-General Richard N. Gale. On the night of 5 June the division conducted

Operation Tonga Operation Tonga was the codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by the British 6th Airborne Division between 5 June and 7 June 1944 as a part of Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings during World War II. The paratroopers and ...

, the British airborne portion of the Allied invasion of Normandy. As an airlanding brigade equipped with

glider Glider may refer to: Aircraft and transport Aircraft * Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight ** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...

s, the brigade was the last unit belonging to the division to arrive, landing at 21:00 on 6 June in landing zone 'W' after it had been secured by the rest of the division.Otway, pp. 181–182 Flavell continued to command the 6th Airlanding Brigade throughout the period that 6th Airborne Division fought in Normandy, as well as when the division fought in the

Ardennes forest The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

during the German offensive there in December 1944. He was involved with " Operation Market Garden" at

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

where his son, James, also fought and another son was involved towing the gliders for troop landings. He was then appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff HQ in

, and subsequently made an Officer of the American Legion of Merit.

Postwar activities

Flavell retired from the British Army in 1945. In the 1945 general election, Flavell stood as the Conservative candidate for North-West Hendon in London, but was defeated by a slim margin. After this, he became involved in property development and also managing his own company. In 1948 he was appointed as Deputy Lieutenant for Middlesex, and some time later became the chairman of the County of Middlesex Territorial Army Association.

Freemasonry

Memberships and offices

Craft Freemasonry

* (1) Initiated (address Upper Tooting: occupation Army Officer) in Upper Norwood Lodge No.1586 (London) 10.12.1919. Resigned July 1946. * (2 ) Joining Member (address Wandsworth: occupation Representative) of Cookham Manor Lodge No. 4191 (Cookham, Berks) 10 March 1921; served as Master and Installed 31.03.1931; Honorary Member of 4191 from 13 August 1980 until his death. * (3) Joining Member (address Ickenham, Middlesex: occupation Shipping Agent) of Berkshire Masters Lodge No. 3684 (Reading, Berks) on 07.05.1932; resigned 05.08.1938 and re-joined (address Wendover: occupation Company Director) 25.02.61 and served as Master in 1963; made Honorary Member 01.05.1992. * (4) Founding Member of Ickenham Lodge No. 5770 (Uxbridge, Middlesex) (address "La Clytte" 56 Parkfield Road, Ickenham: occupation Company Director),Lodge Warrant issued 7 December 1938 and Consecrated 27 February 1939); Master of Ickenham Lodge (Middlesex) in 1952 and Honorary Member 26.11.1977; the last of the seventeen Founder Members to die, aged 95. * (5) Joining Member (address 4 Carlton House, West End Road, Hampstead, NW6: occupation Company Director) of Middlesex Masters No.3420 (Staines, Middlesex) 11.10.1952 and a member until death; Master in 1967. * (6) Joining Member (address Wendover: occupation Company Director) of Middlesex County Lodge No. No. 5355 17.10.1960 (London) and made Honorary Member 02.1980; Master in 1964. * (7) Founder Member of Norman Moore Lodge No. 7976 (Kenton, Middlesex) consecrated 30 June 1964; resigned 06.07.1965. * (8) The Edwin Flavell Lodge No. 8503 was founded in his honour at Sindlesham, Berks, in 1973 (Lodge Warrant issued 14.02.1973; Consecrated at Sindlesham 10.05.1973). * (9) Joining Member (occupation Brigadier) of Bard of Avon Lodge No. 788 (Twickenham, Middlesex) 15.02.1974 and a member until death; Master in 1980. * (10) Joining member (address London: occupation Army Officer, retired) of Good Neighbour Lodge No. 8378 (Chislehurst, West Kent) 27.09.74, resigned 01.05.1988.

Appendant bodies

Holy Royal Arch The Royal Arch is a degree of Freemasonry. The Royal Arch is present in all main masonic systems, though in some it is worked as part of Craft ('mainstream') Freemasonry, and in others in an appendant ('additional') order. Royal Arch Masons meet ...

: Exalted (occupation Company Director) Middlesex West Chapter No. 5770 (Harrow, Middlesex)(Warrant granted 3 November 1943) 6 May 1964 and resigned 09.02.1985. First Principal 1964. Founder Member of Cookham Manor Chapter No. 4191 (Kiln Green, Berks) on 02.1966 and made Honorary Member on 14.06.1991. *

Ancient and Accepted Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the Sco ...

: St Giles Chapter No. 363 (Uxbridge, Middlesex) (at least until 1961). *

Order of Mark Master Masons The Order of Mark Master Masons is an appendant order of Freemasonry that exists in some Masonic jurisdictions, and confers the degrees of ''Mark Mason'' and ''Mark Master''. Purpose Similarly to Craft Freemasonry, Mark Masonry conveys moral a ...

: Master West Middlesex Lodge No. 873 (Uxbridge) 1961 Past Provincial Grand Warden; Past Provincial Senior Overseer. Dates of joining and resignation unknown. All the lodges and Chapters which he founded or with which he was associated are extant (2013). Whilst serving as Provincial Grand Master of Berkshire, he was responsible for the sale of part of the Sindlesham Masonic Centre land to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (homes for the elderly). The home was named Lord Harris Court, and he had a flat there (which, allegedly, he never used). Rooms in the Sindlesham Centre are named "The Edwin Flavell Suite".

Masonic Honorifics

* Provincial Grand Sword Bearer (Berkshire) 1935 * Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies (Middlesex) 1959–60 * Deputy Provincial Grand Master (Berkshire) 1960–67 * Grand Rank as Grand Sword Bearer on 25.04.1961 * Provincial Grand Master (Berkshire) 1967–85 * Provincial Senior Grand Warden (Middlesex) 1969 * Chapter Grand Rank as Grand Scribe Nehemiah on 25.04.1968

Cricket references

Playing member, Honorary Life Member and President for 25 years, (between 1949 – 1973), of Ickenham Cricket Club.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flavell, Edwin 1898 births 1993 deaths Military personnel from Berkshire British Army personnel of World War I British Army brigadiers of World War II Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Deputy Lieutenants of Middlesex East Surrey Regiment officers East Surrey Regiment soldiers Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Machine Gun Corps officers Middlesex Regiment officers Officers of the Legion of Merit People educated at King's College School, London People from Stockwell Recipients of the Military Cross Military personnel from London