Does anybody know which TA unit general Barker was honorary Colonel in between 1945 and 1950? The London Gazette only mention the appointment of him as Honorary Colonel but not which unit. Any help out here?
Hi Steen, Sir Evelyn Hugh Barker was as follows: ADC to the King, 1949-1950. Colonel Commandant, 2nd Battalion The King's Royal Rifle Corps. Honorary Colonel, RA (TA). Hope thats of use to you Sniper
Hi Steen, Good to hear from you. How have you been. Glad that Sniper could answer your question. How many thousand Generals have you got to go? I have about 2,500 of 11,200 headstone photos to go. Cheers Geoff
Thank you sniper for your answer. Sadly I didn't express myself very well in the first post. I already knew that Barker was Colonel of 2nd Battalion The King's Royal Rifle Corps between 1946 and 1956, and that he was Honorary Colonel of 286th (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) between 1951 and 1962. So what I am looking for is the exact TA unit his was Honorary Colonel between 1945 and 1950. The London Gazette records his appointment and him relinquishing it, but not which unit - except that it is also a Royal Artillery TA unit. So the puzzle still stands. @Geoff - Doing well, and I hope you are too. Still a lot of generals to do. I don't no the exact number, but my guess would be about 10.000 (If I count the air forces generals as well). In the next update I will reach 20.000.
Hi Steen, As an Honorary Colonel he would of been to the whole of the Royal Artillery TA, not to a specific unit. Which is probably why you can't find it mentioning it in the London Gazzette. Sniper
Hi Sniper, Well I don't think that you are wright because the entry in the London Gazette when he relinquished the appointment is like this: Viewing Page 6386 of Issue 39096 So I still believe that we a talking about a specific unit. However I may stand corrected.
Hi Steen, Look at the heading, 'Royal Regiment of Artillery'. I think they are talking the TA unit as in that Regiment and not as a town unit. Look at his past, of his past commands, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command (UK), Commander in Chief, Palestine & Trans-Jordan, General Officer Commanding, VIII Corps (Germany, Denmark) [Commander and Governor Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark 1945-1946]. I can't see him being in charge of a unit like you are thinking of. This man has been in charge of Divisions so i can't see him taking an honorary for a small unit like that. Besides small units don't have Generals as Honorary's but i can see a Regiment would. A small unit may have a Major as an Honorary but certainly not a General. Sniper
Hi Sniper, Maybe my command of the English language isn't not good enough to express what I mean here. The heading 'Royal Regiment of Artillery' in London Gazette just notifies changes within that Regiment whether it is with in major or minor units. I am reffering to a unit like the other TA unit he was Honorary Colonel of 286th (Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA). Since it is an honorary appointment the actual size of the unit is of no importance as he did command the unit. If Barker was made a Honorary Colonel of the whole Royal Artillery TA - he would have been made Colonel Commandant. I have never encoutered a Colonel Commandant of the whole Royal Artillery TA, only the whole Royal Artillery, nor have I btw encountered an honorary colonel of all the Royal Artillery TA nor the whole Royal Artillery for that matter - only specific units within the Royal Artillery.
Puzzle solved. Found his obituary in The Times, Friday, Nov 25, 1983; pg. 16. It mentions that he was an Honorary Colonel of The Loyal Suffolk Hussars (Duke of Yorks Own Loyal Suffolk Hussars) 1946-1950.
Hi Steen, The title is purely honourary and carries nor actual command or power. However it is a position which ensures the highest possible repect from all members of the Regiment or unit. The recipient loses no existing rank or title. Could be Honourary Colonel, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, or Honourary Colonel, Field Marshal Lord Montgomery of Alamein, on the other hand it could possibly be Honourary Colonel, Lieut The Duke of ....etc. It is given as a measure of esteem with which the Regiment or unit hold of the person to whom the award is granted. As for the above, I don't know, but you will probably find The Loyal Suffolk Hussars will be a TA Royal Artillery unit. Cheers Keith DCXLVII
Hi Keith, Yes - I am aware of the postions which the the honorary colonels, colonels or colonel commandants has within the regiments, units or corps' in the British army. And yes The Loyal Suffolk was an anti-tank regiment in the the TA.
