Ivo Vesey

Sir Ivo Vesey
File:Sir Ivo Lucius Beresford Vesey.jpg General Sir Ivo Vesey
Born	11 August 1876 Dorking, Surrey, England
Died	Colchester, Essex
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1897 - 1939 1939 - 1945
Rank	General
Commands held	48th South Midland Division Western Command, India Southern Command, India
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Companion of the Distinguished Service Order

General Sir Ivo Lucius Beresford Vesey KCB KBE CMG DSO (11 August 1876 – 19 February 1975) was a British Army officer who became Chief of the General Staff in India.

Military career

Born the second son of Major General George Henry Vesey and educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College Sandhurst, Vesey was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Queen's Royal Regiment on 20 February 1897, and was promoted to lieutenant on 20 October 1898. He served in the Second Boer War 1899-1902, where he was wounded in the Battle of Colenso (15 December 1899), and later served in the Natal March to June 1900, including action at Laing's Nek in June. While in South Africa, he was acting adjutant of the 2nd Battalion of his regiment from 15 May to 29 November 1900. After peace was declared in May 1902, Vesey left South Africa on board the SS Bavarian and arrived in the United Kingdom the following month.

Vesey later served in the First World War and then became Director of Recruiting and Organisation at the War Office in 1919. He was appointed Director of Organisation and Staff Duties at the Air Ministry in 1923, General Officer Commanding of 48th South Midland Division in 1930 and Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in 1931. He went on to be General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Western Command, India in 1935, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Southern Command, India in March 1936 and Chief of the General Staff in India in 1937 before retiring in 1939. He served in the Second World War as a Battalion Commander in the Home Guard.

He was also Colonel of the Queen's Royal Regiment from 1939 to 1945.

Family

In 1913 he married Geraldine Foley; they had two sons.

Honours and Awards

	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
	Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
	Queen's South Africa Medal	with five bars
	King's South Africa Medal	with two bars
40px	1914 Star	with '5th Aug.-22nd Nov. 1914' clasp
	British War Medal
	Victory Medal with palm for Mention in Dispatches
	Defence Medal	for services as a battalion commander in the Home Guard
	King George V Silver Jubilee Medal	1935
	King George VI Coronation Medal	1937
	Officer of the Order of the Crown	(Belgium)
	Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus	(Italy)
	Officer of the Legion of Honour	(France)
	Croix de guerre	(Belgium)

External links

• Imperial War Museum Interview
• Imperial War Museum Interview

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Torquhil Matheson	GOC-in-C, Western Command, India 1935 – 1936	Succeeded by Sir Walter Pitt-Taylor
Preceded by Sir George Jeffreys	GOC-in-C, Southern Command, India 1936 – 1937	Succeeded by Sir John Brind
Preceded by Sir William Bartholomew	Chief of the General Staff (India) 1937–1939	Succeeded by Sir Eric de Burgh
Preceded by Sir Wilkinson Bird	Colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot 1939–1945	Succeeded by Sir George Giffard