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{{Short description|British Army general (1919–2011)}}
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{{Infobox Military Person
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
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| name = Sir Chandos Blair
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{{Infobox military person
| image =
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|name= Sir Chandos Blair
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| caption =
|image=
| born = 25 February 1919
|image_size=
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| died = {{Death date and age|2011|1|22|1919|2|25|df=yes}}
|alt=
| placeofbirth =
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|caption=
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| placeofdeath = Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, UK
|nickname= "Chan"
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| allegiance = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
|birth_date= {{birth date|1919|02|25|df=yes}}
| branch = [[Image:Flag of the British Army.svg|23px]] [[British Army]]
|birth_place= [[Edinburgh]], Scotland
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| serviceyears = 1939–1976
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|death_date= {{death date and age|2011|01|22|1919|02|25|df=yes}}
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| rank = [[Lieutenant General (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]]
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|death_place= [[Gullane]], [[East Lothian]], Scotland
| unit =
|placeofburial=
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| commands = 4th Btn [[King's African Rifles]]<br>[[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]]<br>[[Scottish Command|Scotland]]
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|allegiance= United Kingdom
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| battles = [[World War II]]
|branch= [[British Army]]
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| awards = [[Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br>[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]<br>[[Military Cross]] [[medal bar|& Bar]]
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|serviceyears= 1939–1976
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|rank= [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]]
|servicenumber= 85689
|unit= [[Seaforth Highlanders]]
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|commands= [[Scottish Command]] (1972–76)<br/>[[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]] (1968–70)<br/>4th Battalion, [[King's African Rifles]] ({{circa}} 1959–61)
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|battles= [[Second World War]]
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|awards= [[Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br/>[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Military Cross]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]]
|relations= [[David Blair (golfer)|David Blair]] (brother)
|laterwork=
}}
}}
[[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] '''Sir Chandos Blair''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCVO|OBE|MC1}} (25 February 1919 – 22 January 2011) was a senior [[British Army]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] who served as [[Scottish Command|General Officer Commanding Scottish Command]] from 1972 to 1976.

[[Lieutenant General (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] '''Sir Chandos Blair''' [[Royal Victorian Order|KCVO]] [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] [[Military Cross|MC]] [[medal bar|& Bar]] (born 25 February 1919 — died 22 January 2011) was [[Scottish Command|General Officer Commanding Scotland]].


==Military career==
==Military career==
Educated at [[Harrow School]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], Blair was [[Commissioned officer|commissioned]] into the [[Seaforth Highlanders]] in 1939.<ref name=debrett>''Debrett's People of Today'' (1994)</ref> He served in [[World War II]] with the 2nd and 7th Battalions of his regiment.<ref name=debrett/> His regiment was forced to surrender at [[Dunkirk]], and he became a [[prisoner of war]] at the [[Oflag V-B]] camp at [[Biberach an der Riß|Biberach]] in [[Baden-Württemberg]].<ref name=dunkirk>[http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/dunkirk-british-honour-scottish-tears-1.1027973 "Dunkirk POW"], ''Glasgow Herald'', 16 May 2010.</ref> He escaped to [[Switzerland]] and from there to [[Spain]] and to [[Gibraltar]]. Blair was awarded the [[Military Cross]] for his exploits.<ref name=dunkirk/>
Born the son of Arthur Blair and educated at [[Harrow School]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], Blair was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Seaforth Highlanders]] on 26 January 1939.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34593|page=609|date=27 January 1939}}</ref><ref name=debrett>''Debrett's People of Today'' (1994)</ref> He served in the [[Second World War]] with the 2nd and 7th Battalions of his regiment.<ref name=debrett/> Serving with the 2nd Battalion, which formed part of the [[51st (Highland) Division]], in 1940, the battalion was forced to surrender at [[Dunkirk]], and he became a [[prisoner of war]] at the [[Oflag V-B]] camp at [[Biberach an der Riß|Biberach]] in [[Baden-Württemberg]].<ref name=dunkirk>[http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/dunkirk-british-honour-scottish-tears-1.1027973 "Dunkirk POW"], ''Glasgow Herald'', 16 May 2010.</ref> He escaped to Switzerland and from there to Spain and to [[Gibraltar]]. As such he was the first officer to return home after escaping from a [[Prisoner-of-war camp|prisoner of war camp]].<ref name=scot>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/obituary_lieutenant_general_sir_chandos_blair_kcvo_obe_mc_amp_bar_soldier_and_goc_scotland_1972_1976_1_1498505 Obituary: Lieutenant-General Sir Chandos Blair KCVO OBE MC & Bar, soldier and GOC Scotland 1972–1976] The Scotsman, 26 January 2011</ref> Blair was awarded the [[Military Cross]] for his exploits.<ref name=dunkirk/> He later served with the 7th Battalion, Seaforths, which formed part of the [[15th (Scottish) Infantry Division]], and was with the battalion throughout the [[Western Front (World War II)|campaign in Northwest Europe]], landing in [[Normandy]] shortly after [[Normandy landings|D-Day]] in June 1944 and fighting until [[Victory in Europe Day]] almost exactly eleven months later.<ref name=scot/>


In 1959, he was appointed [[Commanding Officer]] of the 4th Bn the [[King's African Rifles]].<ref name=debrett/> He was made [[General Officer Commanding]] [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]] in [[British Army of the Rhine]] in 1968 and then became [[Defence Services Secretary]] in 1970.<ref name=debrett/> His last appointment was as [[Scottish Command|General Officer Commanding Scotland]] and [[Governor of Edinburgh Castle]] in 1972; in that capacity, [[Prime minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] dispatched him as a [[Diplomatic_rank#Multilateral_diplomacy|Special Envoy]] to secure the release of [[Denis Hills]], a British subject held on spying charges by President [[Idi Amin]] of [[Uganda]].<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913231-1,00.html "Uganda: The British Must Kneel at My Feet!"], ''Time Magazine'', 7 July 1975</ref> Blair retired in 1976.<ref name=debrett/>
In 1959, Blair was appointed [[commanding officer]] of the 4th Battalion of the [[King's African Rifles]].<ref name=debrett/> He was made [[General Officer Commanding]] [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]] in [[British Army of the Rhine]] in 1968 and then became [[Defence Services Secretary]] in 1970.<ref name=debrett/> His last appointment was as [[Scottish Command|General Officer Commanding Scotland]] and [[Governor of Edinburgh Castle]] in 1972; in that capacity, [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] dispatched him as a [[Diplomatic rank#Multilateral diplomacy|Special Envoy]] to secure the release of [[Denis Hills]], a British subject held on spying charges by President [[Idi Amin]] of [[Uganda]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105123504/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913231-1,00.html "Uganda: The British Must Kneel at My Feet!"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', 7 July 1975.</ref> Blair retired in 1976.<ref name=debrett/>


==Family==
==Family==
In 1947 he married Audrey Mary Travers; they went on to have one son and one daughter.<ref name=debrett/>
In 1947 Blair married Audrey Mary Travers; they had one son and one daughter.<ref name=debrett/> His elder brother [[David Blair (golfer)|David]] was an amateur golfer and best-man at the wedding of Chandos and Audrey.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=23 January 1947 |page=7 |title=Marriages – Major C Blair and Miss A M Travers}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist|30em}}


{{start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Sharp (British Army officer)|John Sharp]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[General Officer Commanding]] [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]]|years=1968–1970}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Rollo Pain]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Alan Boxer|Sir Alan Boxer]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Defence Services Secretary]]|years=1970–1972}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ronald Forrest|Sir Ronald Forrest]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Leask|Sir Henry Leask]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Leask|Sir Henry Leask]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Scottish Command|GOC Scotland]]|years=1972&ndash;1976}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Scottish Command|General Officer Commanding Scotland]]|years=1972–1976}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David Scott-Barrett|Sir David Scott-Barrett]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David Scott-Barrett|Sir David Scott-Barrett]]}}
{{end}}
{{end}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Blair, Chandos
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Blair, Sir Chandos
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British army officer and special envoy
| DATE OF BIRTH = 25 February 1919
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 22 January 2011
| PLACE OF DEATH = Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, UK
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Chandos}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Chandos}}
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Old Harrovians]]
[[Category:British Army lieutenant generals]]
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[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
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[[Category:British escapees]]
[[Category:British World War II prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
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[[Category:King's African Rifles officers]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from East Lothian]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Seaforth Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:Seaforth Highlanders officers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross and Bar]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]]
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[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
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[[Category:British Army generals]]
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[[Category:King's African Rifles officers]]

Latest revision as of 22:58, 29 July 2024

Sir Chandos Blair
Nickname(s)"Chan"
Born(1919-02-25)25 February 1919
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died22 January 2011(2011-01-22) (aged 91)
Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Years of service1939–1976
RankLieutenant General
Service number85689
UnitSeaforth Highlanders
CommandsScottish Command (1972–76)
2nd Division (1968–70)
4th Battalion, King's African Rifles (c. 1959–61)
Battles / warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross & Bar
RelationsDavid Blair (brother)

Lieutenant General Sir Chandos Blair, KCVO, OBE, MC & Bar (25 February 1919 – 22 January 2011) was a senior British Army officer who served as General Officer Commanding Scottish Command from 1972 to 1976.

Military career

[edit]

Born the son of Arthur Blair and educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Blair was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Seaforth Highlanders on 26 January 1939.[1][2] He served in the Second World War with the 2nd and 7th Battalions of his regiment.[2] Serving with the 2nd Battalion, which formed part of the 51st (Highland) Division, in 1940, the battalion was forced to surrender at Dunkirk, and he became a prisoner of war at the Oflag V-B camp at Biberach in Baden-Württemberg.[3] He escaped to Switzerland and from there to Spain and to Gibraltar. As such he was the first officer to return home after escaping from a prisoner of war camp.[4] Blair was awarded the Military Cross for his exploits.[3] He later served with the 7th Battalion, Seaforths, which formed part of the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, and was with the battalion throughout the campaign in Northwest Europe, landing in Normandy shortly after D-Day in June 1944 and fighting until Victory in Europe Day almost exactly eleven months later.[4]

In 1959, Blair was appointed commanding officer of the 4th Battalion of the King's African Rifles.[2] He was made General Officer Commanding 2nd Division in British Army of the Rhine in 1968 and then became Defence Services Secretary in 1970.[2] His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1972; in that capacity, Prime Minister Harold Wilson dispatched him as a Special Envoy to secure the release of Denis Hills, a British subject held on spying charges by President Idi Amin of Uganda.[5] Blair retired in 1976.[2]

Family

[edit]

In 1947 Blair married Audrey Mary Travers; they had one son and one daughter.[2] His elder brother David was an amateur golfer and best-man at the wedding of Chandos and Audrey.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "No. 34593". The London Gazette. 27 January 1939. p. 609.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Debrett's People of Today (1994)
  3. ^ a b "Dunkirk POW", Glasgow Herald, 16 May 2010.
  4. ^ a b Obituary: Lieutenant-General Sir Chandos Blair KCVO OBE MC & Bar, soldier and GOC Scotland 1972–1976 The Scotsman, 26 January 2011
  5. ^ "Uganda: The British Must Kneel at My Feet!", Time, 7 July 1975.
  6. ^ "Marriages – Major C Blair and Miss A M Travers". The Times. 23 January 1947. p. 7.
Military offices
Preceded by General Officer Commanding 2nd Division
1968–1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Defence Services Secretary
1970–1972 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General Officer Commanding Scotland
1972–1976 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Chandos_Blair&oldid=1237466447"