# Alexander Gatehouse

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexander_Gatehouse
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alexander_Gatehouse.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gatehouse
> Source revision: 1352375488
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|British Army general (1895–1964)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = [Major-General](/source/Major_general_(United_Kingdom))
|name= Alexander Gatehouse
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|DSO*|MC*}}
|image= 
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= 
|nickname= "Alec"{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=161}}
|birth_date= {{birth date|1895|05|20|df=yes}}
|birth_place= 
|death_date= {{death date and age|1964|08|21|1895|05|20|df=yes}}
|death_place= Sweden
|burial_place= 
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [British Army](/source/British_Army)
|service_years= 1914–1947
|rank= [Major-General](/source/Major_general_(United_Kingdom))
|service_number= 5979
|unit= [Northumberland Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Northumberland_Fusiliers)<br/>[Royal Tank Corps](/source/Royal_Tank_Regiment)
|commands= [1st Armoured Division](/source/1st_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)) (1942)<br/>[10th Armoured Division](/source/10th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)) (1942)<br/>[4th Armoured Brigade](/source/4th_Infantry_Brigade_and_Headquarters_North_East) (1941–42)<br/>Mechanisation Experimental Establishment (1933–37)
|battles= [First World War](/source/First_World_War)<br/>[Second World War](/source/Second_World_War)
|awards= [Distinguished Service Order](/source/Distinguished_Service_Order) & [Bar](/source/Medal_bar)<br/>[Military Cross](/source/Military_Cross) & Bar<br/>[Mentioned in Despatches](/source/Mentioned_in_Despatches)
|relations= 
|other_work=
}}
[Major-General](/source/Major_general_(United_Kingdom)) '''Alexander Hugh Gatehouse''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|DSO1|MC1}} (20 May 1895 – 21 August 1964) was a senior [British Army](/source/British_Army) [officer](/source/Officer_(armed_forces)) who commanded the [10th Armoured Division](/source/10th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)) during the [North African campaign](/source/North_African_campaign) of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War).

==Military career==
Gatehouse joined the [British Army](/source/British_Army) and, after graduating from the [Royal Military College, Sandhurst](/source/Royal_Military_College%2C_Sandhurst), was [commissioned](/source/Officer_(armed_forces)) as a [second lieutenant](/source/second_lieutenant) into the [Northumberland Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Northumberland_Fusiliers) in October 1914 and fought in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War).<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/GATEHOUSE.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28920|page=7777|date=29 September 1914|supp=y}}</ref> He was promoted to [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) in May 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29310|page=9553|date=28 September 1915}}</ref> He was awarded the [Military Cross](/source/Military_Cross) (MC) in September 1918, the citation for which reads:

{{Quote|For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while commanding a composite company of twenty Lewis guns. Under heavy enemy attacks his courage and cheerfulness inspired his men and caused them to hold on to a difficult position under very trying circumstances.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30901|page=10953|date=13 September 1918|supp=y}}</ref>}}

In November 1918, with only a few days left in the war, Gatehouse was awarded a [Bar](/source/Medal_bar) to his MC. The Bar's citation stated the following:

{{Quote|For conspicuous gallantry in command of a company of fourteen tanks. He followed close behind, as they proceeded into action, under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, and superintended their movements in the clearing of two enemy positions. During this time he was knocked down by a shell bursting beside him. In two subsequent actions he again displayed great courage, and the success of these tanks was in great measure due to his skill and judgment.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30997|page=13138|date=5 November 1918|supp=y}}</ref>}}

[[File:The British Army in North Africa 1942 E16486.jpg|thumb|left|Lieutenant General [Bernard Montgomery](/source/Bernard_Montgomery) and Brigadier [Philip "Pip" Roberts](/source/Philip_Roberts_(British_Army_officer)) (pointing) stand on the turret of a Crusader tank to survey the battle area, 6 September 1942. Major General Alexander Gatehouse is pictured standing in front of them.]]

After the war Gatehouse transferred to the Royal Tank Corps (later the [Royal Tank Regiment](/source/Royal_Tank_Regiment)) in 1931.<ref name=lh/> He was appointed commandant of the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment at [Farnborough](/source/Farnborough%2C_Hampshire) in 1933.<ref name=lh/> 

Gatehouse served in the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) as deputy commander of the [7th Armoured Brigade](/source/7th_Armoured_Brigade_(United_Kingdom)) in the [Western Desert](/source/Western_Desert_campaign) from 1940, as commander of the [4th Armoured Brigade](/source/4th_Infantry_Brigade_and_Headquarters_North_East) in the Western Desert from April 1941 and as [General Officer Commanding](/source/General_Officer_Commanding) [10th Armoured Division](/source/10th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom)) from June 1942.<ref name=lh/><ref>[https://www.generals.dk/general/Gatehouse/Alexander_Hugh/Great_Britain.html Generals.dk]</ref> His permanent rank was advanced to [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_Kingdom)) on 6 November 1940, with seniority backdated to 1 July,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35021|page=7203|date=20 December 1940|supp=y}}</ref> and he was awarded the [Distinguished Service Order](/source/Distinguished_Service_Order) in December 1941 and a Bar to the award in January 1942.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35396|page=7333|date=26 December 1941}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35422|page=329|supp=y|date=20 January 1942}}</ref> Having led the 10th Armoured Division at the [Battle of Alam el Halfa](/source/Battle_of_Alam_el_Halfa_order_of_battle) in September 1942 and then the [Second Battle of El Alamein](/source/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein_order_of_battle) in October 1942,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/uk/8tharmyatelalamein.html |title=The 8th Army at El Alamein, October 1942 |access-date=11 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514142032/http://orbat.com/site/history/historical/uk/8tharmyatelalamein.html |archive-date=14 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> he became [major general](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) in charge of administration at [Washington D.C.](/source/Washington_D.C.) at the end of the year, and military [attaché](/source/attach%C3%A9) in [Moscow](/source/Moscow) in 1944 before retiring in 1947.<ref name=lh/>

==Family==
In 1920 Gatehouse married Helen Williams;<ref>[http://heraldryonline.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/gatehouse-arms/ Heraldry on line]</ref> they had one son, [Sir Robert Alexander Gatehouse](/source/Robert_Gatehouse), a Judge of the [Queen's Bench Division](/source/High_Court_of_Justice) of the [High Court](/source/High_Court_of_Justice)).<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1412497/Sir-Robert-Gatehouse.html Obituary: Sir Robert Gatehouse] The Telegraph, 8 November 2002</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| first=Richard| last=Mead| title=Churchill's Lions: A Biographical Guide to the Key British Generals of World War II| location=Stroud| publisher=Spellmount| year=2007|isbn=978-1-86227-431-0}}
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

==External links==
*[https://generals.dk/general/Gatehouse/Alexander_Hugh/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[Herbert Lumsden](/source/Herbert_Lumsden)}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[GOC 1st Armoured Division](/source/1st_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom))|years=1942}}
{{s-aft|after=Herbert Lumsden}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[George Clark](/source/John_George_Walters_Clark)}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[GOC 10th Armoured Division](/source/10th_Armoured_Division_(United_Kingdom))|years=1942}}
{{s-aft|after=[Charles Norman](/source/Charles_Norman_(British_Army_officer))}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gatehouse, Alexander}}
Category:1895 births
Category:1964 deaths
Category:Military attachés for the United Kingdom
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:British Army generals of World War II
Category:Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers
Category:Royal Tank Regiment officers
Category:British Army major generals
Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Category:Recipients of the Military Cross
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Category:Academics of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alexander Gatehouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gatehouse) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Gatehouse?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.