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. In ...

Sir John Spencer Muirhead, (19 April 1889 – 17 February 1972) was a Scottish solicitor, academic, and Territorial Army officer in both World Wars. He was President of the

Law Society of Scotland The Law Society of Scotland is the professional governing body for Scottish solicitors. It promotes excellence among solicitors through the support and regulation of its members. It also promotes the interests of the public in relation to the ...

in 1950, and was Dean of the

Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow The Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow is a professional body of legal practitioners based in Glasgow and providing services to lawyers in the city and the surrounding area. The Faculty owns and operates the largest law library in the West ...

in 1952.

Early life

Muirhead was born on 19 April 1889.''Who was Who 1917–1980''. His father James Muirhead and a grandfather were both lawyers. He was educated at

St Ninian's School, Moffat St Ninian's Preparatory School was an independent preparatory school for boys in Moffat, Scotland. History St Ninian's Preparatory School for boys was founded in 1879 by Arthur John Caswall Dowding and Reverend William Henry Churchill. Dowding ...

, and Fettes College, then an all-boys

private school Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. He studied '' Literae Humaniores'' at

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

, and graduated with a

double first The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...

Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1912. He then entered the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

to study law. His studies were interrupted by the

First World War 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 ...

, but he returned after demobilisation and graduated with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

(LLB) degree.

Military career

While studying at Glasgow, Muirhead was commissioned as a

2nd lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the part-time

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

on 25 February 1913. Before the

, he served with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

Signal Service in the Scottish Cable Signal Company based in Glasgow.''Army List'', various dates. In 1915, he joined the British Expeditionary Force in France as officer commanding (OC) VI Corps Signals and from 1917 was OC

51st (Highland) Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...

Signals. By the end of the war he was an acting

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

, had been 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, typ ...

and 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 i ...

, and had been

Mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

three times. After the war, on 6 August 1919, he reverted to the temporary rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. When the Territorial Force was reformed as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921, Muirhead was confirmed in the rank of Major in the new

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

and commanded

52nd (Lowland) Division The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was originally formed as the Lowland Division, in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It later became the 52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland ...

Signals until 1929, being promoted to

Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in 1925 and

Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

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 of ...

in 1929. He was Deputy Chief Signal Officer of Scottish Command from 1929 to 1932, and from 1931 to 1933 he was also OC of Glasgow University Officers Training Corps, which comprised a field artillery battery. When the TA was rapidly expanded at the time of the

Munich Crisis The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

in 1938, Muirhead raised and commanded the new

74th (City of Glasgow) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 74th (City of Glasgow) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was a Scotland, Scottish air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Territorial Army raised in Glasgow just before World War II. During the war it served i ...

.Muirhead at Generals of WWII.
/ref> The TA was mobilised shortly before the outbreak of 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 opposin ...

, when 74th HAA Regiment formed part of 42nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade defending Glasgow. However, in the winter of 1940–41, while British cities were being attacked in

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, 74th HAA Regiment was sent to reinforce the defences of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. Here it came under the command of 2nd AA Brigade in the

Nile Delta The Nile Delta ( ar, دلتا النيل, or simply , is the delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Po ...

in January.2 AA Bde War Diary, Middle East, 1941, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 169/1560. The regiment's role was to defend the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

and

Port Suez The Suez Port is an Egyptian port located at the southern boundary of the Suez Canal. It is bordered by the imaginary line extending from Ras-El-Adabieh to Moussa sources including the North Coast until the entrance of Suez Canal. Originally ''Port ...

against air raids by Axis bombers. On 23 August 1941 Muirhead was promoted to acting

to take command of 2 AA Brigade, but on 3 September he was sent by sea to command 4 AA Bde besieged in Tobruk. This formation of heavy and light AA guns and searchlights was an important part of the Tobruk garrison ('The Rats of Tobruk'), who had been besieged since April. Although the bulk of the garrison had been relieved, most of the AA gunners had served in the town from the beginning. The ''Official History'' records that the AA artillery in Tobruk was 'incessantly in action against attacks of all kinds, from all heights, but especially by dive-bombers', and that Muirhead and his predecessor were 'responsible for the spirited and successful anti-aircraft defence throughout the siege'. Under Muirhead's command in the last two months of the siege, troops of HAA guns took it in turn to move out to the perimeter and take on ground targets with long-range harassing fire to make up for the shortage of medium artillery. Tobruk was relieved in November 1941 during

Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...

. Afterwards, Muirhead was sent to take command of 1st AA Brigade, which had just arrived to take over responsibility for AA defence in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

. Its particular role was to protect the ports and oil facilities at

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

and Tripoli, Lebanon. Muirhead was twice mentioned in dispatches for his work with Middle East Forces. In 1942 Muirhead was sent to

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

in a staff role. Upon demobilisation in 1946 he was awarded the honorary rank of Brigadier, and served as chairman of the Glasgow Territorial Association from 1950.

Professional career

Muirhead completed his legal studies after World War I and began to practise as a solicitor, becoming lecturer in Roman Law at Glasgow University from 1920 to 1954. He was secretary of the Glasgow University Court from 1937 to 1945. He was President of the

in 1950, and Dean of the

in 1952. He was a member of the Royal Commission on University Education in Dundee in 1951, of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs in 1952, and was chairman of the St Andrews University Statutory Commissioners in 1953. He was also chairman and later honorary president of

George Outram & Co George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

, publishers of the ''

Glasgow Herald ''The Herald'' is a Scottish broadsheet newspaper founded in 1783. ''The Herald'' is the longest running national newspaper in the world and is the eighth oldest daily paper in the world. The title was simplified from ''The Glasgow Herald'' in ...

''.

Honours and decorations

On 3 June 1918, in the King's Birthday Honours, he was awarded the

(DSO). During

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 ...

, he also received the

(MC) and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

three times. On 13 October 1920, he was awarded the

Territorial Decoration __NOTOC__ The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army. This award superseded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration when the Te ...

(TD) for long service in the Territorial Army. In the 1953 Coronation Honours List, he was appointed a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

in recognition of his time as President of the Law Society of Scotland, and therefore granted the title ''sir''. On 10 August 1936, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) by the

Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire in Scotland. The office was abolished in 1975, and replaced with the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk. * David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan 1713 – 1715 * ''incompl ...

. In August 1960, he was appointed Vice-Lieutenant of Stirlingshire. He resigned the appointment on 23 March 1964. He was also a member of the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a perso ...

(the Royal Bodyguard for Scotland).

Family life

In 1917 Muirhead married Geraldine, daughter of Maxwell Hedderwick of Glasgow and they had three sons (one of whom predeceased him) and one daughter.

Notes

References

* Gen Sir

Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s. Military career Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnda ...

, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, .
Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East''
Vol II: ''The Germans come to the aid of their Ally (1941)'', London: HMSO, 1956/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, . * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,

External links

Generals of World War II
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muirhead, John 1889 births 1972 deaths Scottish solicitors People educated at St Ninian's School, Moffat People educated at Fettes College Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Deputy Lieutenants of Stirlingshire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights Bachelor Lawyers awarded knighthoods Royal Engineers officers Royal Corps of Signals officers Royal Artillery officers Recipients of the Military Cross