{{Short description|British Army general}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Major-General |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|DSO**|DL}} |name= Sir Geoffrey Raikes |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{Birth date|1884|4|7|df=yes}} |birth_place= Chislehurst, London, England |death_date= {{Death date and age|1975|3|27|1884|4|7|df=yes}} |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= British Army |service_years= 1903–1938<br />1939–1941 |rank= Major-General |service_number= 11292 |unit= South Wales Borderers |commands= East Lancashire Area (1940–41)<br />Aldershot Command (1940)<br />38th (Welsh) Infantry Division (1939–40)<br />9th Infantry Brigade (1935–37)<br />1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers (1931–34)<br />2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers (1918) |battles= First World War<br />Second World War |awards= Knight Bachelor<br />Companion of the Order of the Bath<br />Distinguished Service Order & Two Bars<br />Mentioned in Despatches<br />Croix de Guerre (France) |relations= |other_work= }} Major-General '''Sir Geoffrey Taunton Raikes''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|DSO2|DL}} (7 April 1884 – 27 March 1975) was a British Army general who achieved high office in the 1930s.

==Military career== Educated at Radley College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=260}} Raikes was commissioned into the South Wales Borderers in 1903.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/RAIKES.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref> He was seconded to the Egyptian Army from 1913 to 1915.<ref name=lh/>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=260}}

He served in the First World War and by April 1918 found himself as Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, South Wales Borderers at Armentières, where the battalion suffered heavy losses.<ref>[http://www.margaretcolley.co.uk/southwales_borderers.htm South Wales Borderers]</ref> He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and two bars for his service during the war. The citation for his second bar reads:

{{Quote|For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of the remnants of two brigades, formed as one battalion. Though both flanks had gone he held on, encouraging his men, and repelling frequent enemy attacks. When the situation was critical he inspired his men by his brilliant example, and it was due to his absolute disregard of danger, capacity for command, and powers of organisation that the line held to the last.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=13322|page=3290|date=18 September 1918|city=e}}</ref>}}

After the war, Raikes became an instructor at the Senior Officers School in 1922 before attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1924 to 1925 and moving on to be Chief Instructor of Military History and Tactics at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=260}} He was appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers in 1931 and then reverted to being an Instructor at the Senior Officers School.<ref name=lh/> Promoted in June 1934 to colonel, with seniority dated back to June 1923,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34058|page=3658|date=8 June 1934}}</ref> he was made commander of the 9th Infantry Brigade in 1935 and then retired in 1938.<ref name=lh/>

During the Second World War, Raikes was recalled to be General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division of the Territorial Army (TA).<ref name=lh/>

Raikes was very keen on scouting.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.scoutswales.org.uk/docs/history/brecon.pdf |title=Scout Wales |access-date=2009-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004150122/http://www.scoutswales.org.uk/docs/history/brecon.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was also Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire from 1948 to 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://website.hirwaunhistorical.org.uk/history/royal-visits/ |title=Royal Visits|publisher=Hirwaun Historical Society|access-date=2 July 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|first=Nick|last=Smart|title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War|isbn=1844150496|year=2005|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire|publisher=Pen and Sword Books|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ogTMDwAAQBAJ}}

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

{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-new| post}} {{s-ttl|title=GOC 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division|years=1939–1940}} {{s-aft|after=Aubrey Williams}} |- {{s-bef|before=Michael Barker}} {{s-ttl|title=GOC-in-C Aldershot Command|years=1940}} {{s-aft|after=Dudley Johnson}} {{s-hon}} {{succession box|before=The Lord Glanusk|title=Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire|years=1948–1959|after=Sir William Parker, Bt}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raikes, Geoffrey}} Category:1884 births Category:1975 deaths Category:British Army major generals Category:Academics of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:British Army generals of World War II Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Lord-lieutenants of Brecknockshire Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Category:South Wales Borderers officers Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Category:People educated at Radley College Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Bromley Category:People from Chislehurst