# Keith Burch

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{{Short description|British Army general (1931–2013)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix   = [Major-General](/source/Major_general)
|name               = Keith Burch
|honorific_suffix   = [CB](/source/Order_of_the_Bath) [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)
|image              = Keith_Burch.jpg
|caption            = 
|birth_date         = {{Birth date|df=yes|1931|5|31}}
|death_date         = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|03|27|1931|5|31}}
|burial_label       = 
|burial_place       = 
|birth_place        = 
|death_place        = 
|burial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
|nickname           = 
|birth_name         = 
|allegiance         = {{flag|United Kingdom|23px}}
|branch             = {{army|United Kingdom}}
|service_years      = 
|rank               = [Major-General](/source/Major_general)
|service_number     = 
|unit               = 
|commands           = 
|battles            = 
|battles_label      = 
|awards             = [CB](/source/Order_of_the_Bath) [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire)
|relations          = 
|other_work         = [Chapter clerk](/source/Chapter_clerk) of [York Minster](/source/York_Minster)
}}

[Major-General](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) '''Keith Burch''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|CBE}} (31 May 1931 – 27 March 2013) was a senior officer in the [British Army](/source/British_Army).<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-9407|title=Burch, Maj.-Gen. Keith, (31 May 1931–27 March 2013), Director Personnel, Defence Staff, Ministry of Defence, 1985; Chapter Clerk, York Minster, 1985–95|website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|year=2007|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U9407|isbn=978-0-19-954089-1}}</ref> His obituary in [The Times](/source/The_Times) described him as 'a soldier who commanded with a firm, determined hand in Hong Kong, [Aden](/source/Aden), 
[Cyprus](/source/Cyprus) and Germany'.<ref name="auto1">Obituary, ''Major-General Keith Burch'', [The Times](/source/The_Times), 17 May 2013</ref>

==Early life==
Keith Burch was born 31 May 1931, the son of Christopher Burch and Gwendoline Ada (née James).<ref name="ukwhoswho.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/public/home.html?url=%2Fapp%3Fservice%3Dexternalpagemethod%26page%3DIndex%26method%3Dview%26&failReason=|title=Who's Who|publisher=ukwhoswho.com|accessdate=9 July 2015}}</ref> He was educated at [Bedford Modern School](/source/Bedford_Modern_School)<ref name="auto"/> and [Sandhurst](/source/Royal_Military_Academy_Sandhurst).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalleicestershireregiment.org.uk/have-you-a-tiger/record/65950/|title=Have you a Tiger in your family? – Royal Leicestershire Regiment Online Archive – RLR|publisher=royalleicestershireregiment.org.uk|accessdate=9 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140806023449/http://www.royalleicestershireregiment.org.uk/have-you-a-tiger/record/65950/|archivedate=6 August 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1951, Burch was commissioned into the [Essex Regiment](/source/Essex_Regiment).<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/> He was sent to [Korea](/source/Korea) in 1953 with the [1st Battalion](/source/Essex_Regiment) as his patrol's platoon commander, building defences along the Korean ceasefire line for over a year.<ref name="auto1"/> The [1st Essex](/source/Essex_Regiment) later moved to Hong Kong where 'he exercised his authority as senior subaltern without fear or favour'.<ref name="auto1"/>

In 1954, the [Essex Regiment](/source/Essex_Regiment) merged into what became the [Royal Anglian Regiment](/source/Royal_Anglian_Regiment) following which Burch held a junior staff appointment in [Kenya](/source/Kenya) before attending the [Staff College, Camberley](/source/Staff_College%2C_Camberley).<ref name="auto1"/> Having qualified at [Camberley](/source/Staff_College%2C_Camberley), he was appointed to the Staff Duties branch of the Army Department of the [Ministry of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(United_Kingdom)) and was appointed [MBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) on leaving in 1965.<ref name="auto1"/>

Burch saw active service with the 4th (Leicestershire) Battalion in [Aden](/source/Aden),<ref name="auto1"/> served in Malta, and was subsequently recalled to [Camberley](/source/Staff_College%2C_Camberley) as a member of the Directing Staff.<ref name="auto1"/> In 1969, he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel to command the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment in Aldershot, Cyprus and Germany.<ref name="auto1"/>

In 1976 Burch was promoted to [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_Kingdom)) and appointed Chief of Staff of the 2nd Armoured Division in Germany, then commanded by [Major-General Sir Frank Kitson](/source/Frank_Kitson).<ref name="auto1"/> Kitson 'appreciated a man who planned thoroughly and got things done without fuss'.<ref name="auto1"/> He was subsequently made [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) and promoted to [brigadier](/source/brigadier) as Director of Administrative Planning in the Army Department of the [Ministry of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(United_Kingdom)).<ref name="auto1"/>

In 1981 he attended the Indian National Defence College, New Delhi, before being appointed Deputy Director Army Staff Duties at the Ministry of Defence (1982–83). His final military posts were at the rank of Major-General as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel and Logistics) and Director Personnel in the [Ministry of Defence](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(United_Kingdom)) from 1983 to 1985.<ref name="auto1"/>

==Awards and honours==
Burch was made [MBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1965, [CBE](/source/Order_of_the_British_Empire) in 1977 and [Companion Order of the Bath](/source/Order_of_the_Bath) in 1985.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/>

==Personal life==
In 1953 and whilst an officer, he competed in middle distance competitive running in Hong Kong, holding the Crown Colony's record for the 800 and 1500 metres.<ref name="auto1"/> In 1957, Burch married Sara Vivette Hales; they had one son and two daughters.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/>

Following his retirement from the army, Burch was appointed Chapter Clerk of York Minster between 1985 and 1995.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com" /> During this period, Burch also served as County President of the Royal British Legion.

In 2006 he and his wife emigrated to [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand).<ref name="auto1" />

Burch died on The Yellow Sea (Huang Hai) on 27 March 2013.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com" /> He was survived by his wife, Sara, his son, Giles, and two daughters, Amanda and Emma.<ref name="auto1" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burch, Keith}}
Category:People educated at Bedford Modern School
Category:1931 births
Category:2013 deaths
Category:British Army major generals
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Essex Regiment officers
Category:Royal Anglian Regiment officers
Category:People who died at sea
Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
Category:Academics of the Staff College, Camberley
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Category:20th-century British Army personnel

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