Hull, Richard Amyatt.

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Hull, Richard Amyatt, born 07-03-1907, in  Cosham, Hampshire, the son of Major-General Sir Charles Patrick Amyatt Hull and Muriel Helen Hull (born Dobell), and educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge, Hull was commissioned into the 17th/21st Lancers on 01-11-1926. Posted with his regiment to Egypt in October 1928, he was promoted to lieutenant on 07-05-1931 and to captain on 01-06-1933 before going on to India in October 1933, In 1934 he married Antoinette Labouchére de Rougement; they had a son and two daughters Coat of Arms of Field Marshal Sir Richard Hull, KG, as displayed on his Order of the Garter stall plate in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

After serving in the Directorate of Staff Duties at the War Office from February 1940, Hull was appointed Commander of C Squadron of his regiment in March 1941 and then Commanding Officer of the regiment in August 1941 before joining the staff of the 1st Canadian Armoured Division under command of Brigadier General R.A Wyman in June 1942. He was given command of Blade Force, a unit based on the 17th/21st Lancers, in September 1942: the unit landed in North Africa and advanced at speed to Tebourba for which he was awarded the DSO on 11-02-1943.

General Sir. Richard Hull with General Paul DeWitt Adams Adams retired in 1966. He was president of Paul DeWitt Adams & Associates from 1966 to 1971. He died on 31-10-1987, age 81, in Tampa, Florida.

Hull became brigade commander of 12th Infantry Brigade in April 1943 and then 26th Armoured Brigade in North Africa in late 1943, being mentioned in despatches for services on 27-01-1944, before becoming Deputy Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in December 1943.

Hull became General Officer Commanding of the 1st Armoured Division in Italy in August 1944, leading the division through the fierce battles of Operation Olive on the Gothic Line; he was checked by the Germans at Coriano. Following the division’s disbandment at the end of September, he became the commander of the 5th Division in November 1944, leading the division through the final phases of the war in North West Europe and, having been promoted to the substantive rank of major on 07-05-1945, he was appointed CB on 05-07-1945. Here left . Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery 

  poses for a group photograph with his staff and army, corps and divisional commanders at Walbeck, Germany, 22 March 1945. Pictured standing in the back row, on the far left, is Major General Richard Hull.

Promoted to colonel on 13-04-1946, he was appointed Commandant of Staff College, Camberley in May 1946, having been promoted again to major-general on 13-06-1947, he became Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in September 1948. and Chief Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College on 01-01-1951. He became Chief of Staff at headquarters Middle East Land Forces on 26-01-1953. He was appointed General Officer Commanding British troops in Egypt on 15-06-1954 and, having been promoted to Lieutenant General on 29-09-1954 and advanced to KCB in the New Year Honours 1956, he became Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 05-10-1956. He was appointed Commander in Chief Far East Land Forces on 25-06-1958 and, having been promoted to full General on 13-02-1959[18] and advanced to GCB in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 1961, he became Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 01-11-1961 (restyled Chief of the General Staff in April 1964). In this capacity he advised the British Government on the response to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Having been promoted to Field Marshal on 08-02-1965, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff on 16-7-1965. He retired from the British Army on 05-08-1967.

He was also appointed Colonel of the 17th/21st Lancers from July 1947, Honorary Colonel of the Cambridge University Contingent from 30-05-1958 and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Armoured Corps from April 1968.

Fieldmarshall Hull here after the war with General Dr. Hans Emil Speidel,

 former adjutant of  Marshal Erwin Rommel   

Death and burial ground of Sir Hull, Richard Amyatt.

 

In retirement he became a Non-Executive Director of Whitbread. He was appointed Constable of the Tower of London from 01-08-1970, Lord Lieutenant of Devon from 05-10-1978 and a Knight of the Garter on 23-04-1980.

His interests included shooting, fly fishing and gardening; he knew every plant in his garden by their English, latin and local name. He died of cancer at his home, Beacon Downe in Pinhoe in Devon on 17-09-1989, age 82, and is buried with his wife Antoinette who died 7 years earlier at St. Michael and All Angels Cemetery, Pinhoe, Devon..

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