# Eric de Burgh

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eric_de_Burgh
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Eric_de_Burgh.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_de_Burgh
> Source revision: 1352397119
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

British Army general

General Sir Eric de Burgh KCB DSO OBE Born (1881-05-10)10 May 1881[1] Naas, County Kildare, Ireland Died 6 February 1973(1973-02-06) (aged 91)[2] Wexford, County Wexford, Ireland Buried Maudlin's Cemetery Allegiance United Kingdom Branch British Army British Indian Army Service years 1901–1941 Rank General Service number 3737 Commands Chief of the General Staff in India 1st Indian Division Rawalpindi District Lahore District 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade Conflicts 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 Mary Fanshawe ​ ​ (m. 1923; died 1934)​

Tombstone of General de Burgh and his wife, [Maudlin's Cemetery](/source/Maudlin's_Cemetery)

[General](/source/General_(United_Kingdom)) **Sir Eric de Burgh**, [KCB](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath), [DSO](/source/Distinguished_Service_Order), [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (English: [/d ˈbɜːr/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English); [*d’-BER*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Pronunciation_respelling_key); 10 May 1881 – 6 February 1973) was a [British Indian Army](/source/British_Indian_Army) officer who served as [Chief of the General Staff in India](/source/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(India)) from 1939 to 1941.

## Military career

Educated at [Marlborough College](/source/Marlborough_College) and the [Colonial College](/source/Colonial_College), [Hollesley Bay](/source/Hollesley_Bay%2C_Suffolk), De Burgh was [commissioned](/source/Commissioned_officer) into the 3rd ([Militia](/source/Militia_(United_Kingdom))) Battalion, [Royal Dublin Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Dublin_Fusiliers), as a [second lieutenant](/source/Second_lieutenant) in October 1901. In February 1902 he was seconded for service with [mounted infantry](/source/Mounted_infantry) during the [Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War),[3][4] with the local rank of [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) whilst serving in South Africa.[5] After the end of the war in South Africa, he was in January 1903 transferred to the regular army, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the [Manchester Regiment](/source/Manchester_Regiment).[6] He was seconded to the Indian Army later the same year, and served in the [19th Lancers (Fane's Horse)](/source/19th_Lancers_(Fane's_Horse)). He attended the [Staff College, Camberley](/source/Staff_College%2C_Camberley) from 1913 to 1914.[7]

De Burgh served in the [First World War](/source/First_World_War) and saw action at the [Battle of Neuve Chapelle](/source/Battle_of_Neuve_Chapelle) in March 1915, the month he was made a [brigade major](/source/Brigade_major),[8] the [Second Battle of Ypres](/source/Second_Battle_of_Ypres) in April 1915 and the [Battle of Loos](/source/Battle_of_Loos) in September 1915.[4] He later saw action at the [Battle of the Somme](/source/Battle_of_the_Somme) in 1916, the [Battle of Arras](/source/Battle_of_Arras_(1917)) in April 1917 and the [Battle of Cambrai](/source/Battle_of_Cambrai_(1917)) in November 1917.[4]

De Burgh also fought in the [Third Anglo-Afghan War](/source/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War) in 1919.[4] He was appointed an instructor at [Staff College, Quetta](/source/Pakistan_Command_and_Staff_College) in 1928.[9] 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](/source/1st_(Risalpur)_Cavalry_Brigade) in 1931 and District Officer Commanding [Lahore](/source/Lahore) District in 1934.[9] After that he attended the [Imperial Defence College](/source/Royal_College_of_Defence_Studies).[7] He then became Deputy Chief General Staff at Army Headquarters India in 1935, District Officer Commanding [Rawalpindi](/source/Rawalpindi) District in 1936 and [General Officer Commanding](/source/General_Officer_Commanding) 1st Indian Division in 1937.[9] His last appointment was as [Chief of the General Staff in India](/source/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(India)) in 1939 at the start of the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) before retiring in 1941.[9]

In retirement, De Burgh lived at Ard Cairn outside [Naas](/source/Naas) and, in 1960, he acquired [Bargy Castle](/source/Bargy_Castle) in [County Wexford](/source/County_Wexford).[10]

## Family

In 1923, De Burgh married Mary Fanshawe, daughter of General [Sir Edward Fanshawe](/source/Edward_Fanshawe_(British_Army_officer)); they had two daughters.[10] He was the maternal grandfather of singer [Chris de Burgh](/source/Chris_de_Burgh).[10]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** *UK, British Army Lists, 1882–1962*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["No. 27417"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27417/page/1887). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 18 March 1902. p. 1887.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-iwm_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-iwm_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-iwm_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-iwm_4-3) [Private Papers of General Sir Eric de Burgh](http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030018820), [Imperial War Museum](/source/Imperial_War_Museum), London, UK.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["No. 27425"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27425/page/2507). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 15 April 1902. p. 2507.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["No. 27519"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27519/page/533). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 27 January 1903. p. 533.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESmart200579_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESmart200579_7-1) [Smart 2005](#CITEREFSmart2005), p. 79.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["No. 29113"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29113/page/2984). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 28 March 1915. p. 2984.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dk_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dk_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dk_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dk_9-3) [de Burgh, Sir Eric, General (1881–1973) (Indian Army)](https://generals.dk/general/de_Burgh/Eric/Great_Britain.html), [Generals.dk](http://www.generals.dk/).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tb_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tb_10-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-tb_10-2) [General Sir Eric de Burgh — Old Friend](http://www.turtlebunbury.com/history/history_family/hist_family_deburgh.htm#general), [Turtle Bunbury](http://www.turtlebunbury.com/).

## Bibliography

- Smart, Nick (2005). *Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War*. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1844150496](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1844150496).

Military offices Preceded by Sir Ivo Vesey Chief of the General Staff (India) 1939–1941 Succeeded by Sir Thomas Hutton

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