Eric de Burgh

General Sir Eric de Burgh
Born	(1881-05-10)10 May 1881 Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
Died	6 February 1973(1973-02-06) (aged 91) Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland
Buried	Maudlin's Cemetery
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army British Indian Army
Years of service	1901–1941
Rank	General
Service number	3737
Commands held	Chief of the General Staff in India 1st Indian Division Rawalpindi District Lahore District 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War Third Anglo-Afghan War Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Spouse(s)	Mary Fanshawe ​ ​ (m. 1923; died 1934)​

Tombstone of General de Burgh and his wife, Maudlin's Cemetery

General Sir Eric de Burgh, KCB, DSO, OBE (English: /d ˈbɜːr/; d’-BER; 10 May 1881 – 6 February 1973) was a British Indian Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff in India from 1939 to 1941.

Military career

Educated at Marlborough College and the Colonial College, Hollesley Bay, De Burgh was commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, as a second lieutenant in October 1901. In February 1902 he was seconded for service with mounted infantry during the Second Boer War, with the local rank of lieutenant whilst serving in South Africa. He later joined the Indian Army, and served in the 19th Lancers (Fane's Horse). He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1913 to 1914.

De Burgh served in the First World War and saw action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915 and the Battle of Loos in September 1915. He later saw action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Battle of Arras in April 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917.

De Burgh also fought in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. He was appointed an instructor at Staff College, Quetta in 1928. He went on to be a Brigadier on the General Staff at Eastern Command in India in 1930, commanding officer of the 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade in 1931 and District Officer Commanding Lahore District in 1934. After that he attended the Imperial Defence College. He then became Deputy Chief General Staff at Army Headquarters India in 1935, District Officer Commanding Rawalpindi District in 1936 and General Officer Commanding 1st Indian Division in 1937. His last appointment was as Chief of the General Staff in India in 1939 at the start of the Second World War before retiring in 1941.

In retirement, De Burgh lived at Ard Cairn outside Naas and, in 1960, he acquired Bargy Castle in County Wexford.

Family

In 1923, De Burgh married Mary Fanshawe, daughter of General Sir Edward Fanshawe; they had two daughters. He was the maternal grandfather of singer Chris de Burgh.

Bibliography

• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.