{{Short description|British Army general}} {{other uses|David House (disambiguation)}} {{EngvarB|date=March 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = Lieutenant-General |name = Sir David House |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=|GCB|KCVO|CBE|MC}} |image = |image_size = |alt = |caption = |office = Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod |term_start = 10 January 1978 |term_end = 14 January 1985 |monarch = Elizabeth II |predecessor = Sir Frank Twiss |successor = Sir John Gingell |birth_name = David George House |birth_date = {{birth date|1922|08|08|df=yes}} |death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|07|14|1922|08|08|df=yes}} |birth_place = Steyning, Sussex |death_place = North Yorkshire |placeofburial = |nickname = |allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}} |branch = {{army|United Kingdom}} |service_years = 1941–1977 |rank = Lieutenant-General |unit = King's Royal Rifle Corps<br/>Royal Green Jackets |commands = Headquarters Northern Ireland<br/>51st Gurkha Brigade<br/>1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) |battles = Second World War<br/>Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation<br/>Northern Ireland |awards = Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath<br/>Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Military Cross<br/>Mentioned in Despatches |relations = |footnotes = Service number: 203138 }} Lieutenant-General '''Sir David George House''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|KCVO|CBE|MC}} (8 August 1922 – 14 July 2012) was a British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and later held the office of Black Rod (similar to a serjeant-at-arms) at the House of Lords from 1978 to 1985.
==Early life== House was born on 8 August 1922 in Steyning, Sussex.<ref name="tele - obit">{{cite news|title=Lieutenant-General Sir David House|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9465218/Lieutenant-General-Sir-David-House.html|accessdate=11 August 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=9 August 2012}}</ref> He was educated at Regent's Park School in London.<ref name="Who">''Who's Who 2008''. [160th edition] A&C Black: London, 2008.</ref>
==Military career== On leaving school, House entered the British Army.<ref name=Who /> He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 23 August 1941.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35262|supp=y|pages=5094–5096|date=29 August 1941}}</ref> He served in the Italian Campaign,<ref name="Who"/> and ended the war as a war substantive captain.<ref name="LG 15 April 1947"/>
On 19 April 1947, House transferred from an emergency to a regular commission and was promoted to lieutenant.<ref name="LG 15 April 1947">{{London Gazette|issue=37933|supp=y|page=1715|date=15 April 1947}}</ref> He was promoted to captain on 8 August 1949.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38740|supp=y|page=5010|date=21 October 1949}}</ref>
In 1959, he was appointed, as a major, to the staff of the first Chief of the Defence Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson (RAF officer).[33]
House commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) at Penang from January 1964 to December 1964, and in West Berlin to September 1965. He served in Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.<ref name="LG 18 June 1965" /> He was promoted to colonel on 3 November 1965, with seniority from 1 July 1964.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43890|supp=y|page=1249|date=1 February 1966}}</ref> From 1965 to 1967, he commanded 51st Gurkha Brigade in Borneo, during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.<ref name="Who"/> He was promoted to brigadier on 31 December 1966.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44238|supp=y|page=1155|date=27 January 1967}}</ref> From 1967 to 1969, he was chief of BRIXMIS.<ref name="Who"/> From April 1969 to January 1971, he was Deputy Military Secretary.<ref name="Army Senior Appointments">{{cite web|last=Mackie |first=Colin |title=Army Senior Appointments |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |accessdate=13 August 2012 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |archivedate=5 July 2015 }}</ref> He was promoted to major general on 9 June 1971, with seniority from 1 November 1970.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45396|supp=y|page=6312|date=14 June 1971}}</ref> From 1971 to 1973 Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine.<ref name="Who"/> He left the post of Chief of Staff on 13 August 1973.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46056|supp=y|page=10048|date=21 August 1973}}</ref>
He was appointed Director of Infantry on 21 September 1973,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46085|supp=y|page=11399|date=24 September 1973}}</ref> and left the post on 27 May 1975.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46582|supp=y|page=6830|date=23 May 1975}}</ref> On 1 August 1975, he succeeded Sir Frank King as GOC Northern Ireland,<ref name="bew1">{{cite book | last = Bew | first = Paul | authorlink = Paul Bew, Baron Bew |author2=Gordon Gillespie | title = Northern Ireland: A Chronology of the Troubles, 1968–1993 | publisher = Gill & Macmillan | year = 1993 | pages = 104, 124 | isbn = 0-7171-2081-3 }}</ref> and was promoted to lieutenant general with seniority from 1 January 1975.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46651|supp=y|page=9952|date=5 August 1975}}</ref> His time in command was marked by the ending of a Provisional IRA ceasefire in January 1976, and a resulting upsurge of violence.<ref>[https://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/people/biography/hpeople.htm#house Biography at CAIN]</ref> He was replaced by Timothy Creasey on 1 November 1977.<ref name="bew1"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47371|supp=y|page=14022|date=7 November 1977}}</ref>
House retired from active service on 30 December 1977.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47432|supp=y|page=309|date=10 January 1978}}</ref>
==Later life== On 10 January 1978, he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod,<ref name="LG 10 January 1978">{{London Gazette |issue=47433 |date=10 January 1978 |page=321 }}</ref> a ceremonial post in the House of Lords. He was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell on 14 January 1985.<ref name="LG 15 January 1985">{{London Gazette |issue=50008 |date=15 January 1985 |page=519 }}</ref>
He spent his final years living in North Yorkshire.<ref name="Find A Grave">{{cite web|title=Sir David House|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95075097|publisher=Find A Grave|accessdate=13 August 2012}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=March 2020}} He died on 14 July 2012,<ref name="tele - obit" /> and is buried in Aldborough, a village near Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.<ref name="Find A Grave" />
==Personal life== In 1947, House married Sheila Betty Darwin.<ref name="Yorkshire Post - obit">{{cite news|title=Sir David House|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/obituaries/sir-david-house-1-4781989|accessdate=13 August 2012|newspaper=Yorkshire Post|date=28 July 2012}}</ref> Together they had two daughters;<ref name="tele - obit" /> Jennifer and Elizabeth.<ref name="Yorkshire Post - obit" />
==Honours and decorations== House was awarded the Military Cross on 8 February 1945 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy".<ref name="LG 6 February 1945">{{London Gazette |issue=36928 |date=6 February 1945 |pages=795–797 |supp=y }}</ref> On 22 June 1965, he was Mentioned in Despatches "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Borneo Territories".<ref name="LG 18 June 1965">{{London Gazette |issue=43689 |date=18 June 1965 |pages=5967–5970 |supp=y }}</ref>
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1964 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43200|supp=y|page=7|date=31 December 1963}}</ref> on 16 May 1967, he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire "in recognition of Distinguished Services in the Borneo Territories during the period 24 June 1966 to 11 August 1966".<ref name="LG 12 May 1967">{{London Gazette |issue=44311 |date=12 May 1967 |page=5453 |supp=y }}</ref> In the 1975 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.<ref name="LG 6 June 1975">{{London Gazette |issue=49969 |date=6 June 1975 |page=7370 |supp=y }}</ref> In celebration of Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee and birthday on 11 June 1977, he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.<ref name="LG 10 June 1977">{{London Gazette |issue=47234 |date=10 June 1977 |page=7081 |supp=y }}</ref> In the 1985 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.<ref name="LG 31 December 1984">{{London Gazette |issue=49969 |date=31 December 1984 |page=4 |supp=y }}</ref>
He was appointed Colonel Commandant of The Light Division on 31 December 1973 in succession to General Sir Antony Read.<ref name="LG 7 January 1974">{{London Gazette |issue=46174 |date=7 January 1974 |page=271 |supp=y }}</ref> On 1 November 1977, his tenure expired and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Peter Hudson.<ref name="LG 31 October 1977">{{London Gazette |issue=47364 |date=31 October 1977 |page=13731 |supp=y }}</ref> He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Small Arms School Corps on 1 December 1974 also in succession to General Sir Antony Read.<ref name="LG 3 February 1975">{{London Gazette |issue=46483 |date=3 February 1975 |page=1560 |supp=y }}</ref> He was succeeded on 1 September 1977 by the then Major General Timothy Creasey.<ref name="LG 5 September 1977">{{London Gazette |issue=47316 |date=5 September 1977 |page=11396 |supp=y }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} <!-- no. 203138 --> 33. Tribute by Field Marshal Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC.
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Frank King}} {{s-ttl|title=General Officer Commanding the British Army in Northern Ireland|years=1975–1977}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Timothy Creasey}} |- {{s-gov}} {{succession box |title=Black Rod |before=Sir Frank Twiss |after=Sir John Gingell |years=1978–1985}} {{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:House, David}} Category:British Army lieutenant generals Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Category:1922 births Category:British Army personnel of World War II Category:Royal Green Jackets officers Category:2012 deaths Category:British military personnel of the Troubles (Northern Ireland) Category:British Army personnel of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Category:Ushers of the Black Rod Category:Military personnel from West Sussex