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 ...

Arthur Gordon Matthew (22 December 1898 – 6 October 1947) was a British

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

officer who served in 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 ...

and 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 ...

Military career

Matthew (who was known as "Hammer") served in the First World War and 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 ...

during the

, including during the Siege of Tobruk and the

Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...

."Brigadier A. G. Matthew." Times ondon, England10 Oct. 1947: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. After the Normandy campaign and the Rhine crossing, he served as commander of the Kiel Brigade area during the post-war occupation of Germany. Matthew died in 1947 from a heart attack, but is recorded amongst the dead for the 1939–1945 conflict as occupation operations had then not yet normalised to peacetime arrangements. He is buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge. He 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 ...

in 1941 for distinguished service in the Middle East between December 1940 and February 1941, and was appointed a

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1945. He was also Mentioned in Despatches five times.

References

External links

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British Army Officers 1939–1945
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthew, Arthur Gordon 1898 births 1947 deaths Royal Horse Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order People from Cambridge Military personnel from Cambridgeshire British Army brigadiers of World War II Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich People educated at Eastbourne College Burials in Cambridgeshire