MarcyEdmond490 at 21:34, 3 May 2026

2026-05-03T21:34:20Z

New page

{{Short description|British Army officer (1895–1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2012}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = [[Lieutenant general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]]
|name= Sir Archibald Nye
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCSI|GCMG|GCIE|KCB|KBE|MC}}
|image= Lieutenant-general a E Nye, Cb, Mc Art.IWMARTLD3205.jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption= Portrait of Nye, 1942
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth date|1895|04|23|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Ship St Barracks]], [[Dublin]], Ireland
|death_date= {{death date and age|1967|11|13|1895|04|23|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[London]], England
|burial_place=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[British Army]]
|service_years= 1914–1946
|rank= [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]]
|service_number= 5851
|unit= Corps of Army Schoolmasters [[Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)]] [[Royal Warwickshire Regiment]]
|commands= [[Vice Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] (1941–46) [[Nowshera Brigade]] (1939–40) 2nd Battalion, [[Royal Warwickshire Regiment]] (1937–39)
|battles= [[First World War]] [[Second World War]]
|awards= [[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]] [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]] [[Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]] [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Military Cross]]
|spouse= Una Sheila Colleen Knox (m. 1939)
|other_work= [[Governor of Madras]] [[List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to India|High Commissioner to India]] [[British High Commissioner to Canada]]
}}

[[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-General]] '''Sir Archibald Edward Nye''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|GCSI|GCMG|GCIE|KCB|KBE|MC}} (23 April 1895 – 13 November 1967) was a senior [[British Army]] officer who served in both [[world war]]s and was [[Vice Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] from 1941 to 1946 during the [[Second World War]]. Post-war, he served as [[Governor of Madras]], after which [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] asked for him to stay on as [[High Commissioner]] in India.{{sfn|Alanbrooke|2001|p=xli}} He subsequently served as High Commissioner to Canada.

==Early life==

Archibald Edward Nye was born on 23 April 1895 at [[Ship Street Barracks]], Dublin, to Charles Edward Nye and Mary Sexton. He was the second of three sons born to the couple, who also had three daughters. His father was a [[regimental sergeant major]] in the [[Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry]], [[British Army]].<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/35272|title=Nye, Sir Archibald Edward (1895-1967), army officer|year=2004}}</ref>

Nye was educated at the [[Duke of York's Royal Military School]], a boarding school for sons of non-commissioned officers, and desired to become a schoolmaster. But the [[First World War]] broke out at this juncture and Nye joined the Army.<ref name=odnb/><ref name="Officers of the British Army">{{cite web|url=https://www.unithistories.com/officers/bio/british/Nye_AE.html|title=British Army officer histories|publisher=Unit Histories|access-date=2022-11-12}}</ref>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=238}}

==Military career==

At the outset of the Great War, Nye went to France with the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War I)|British Expeditionary Force]] in 1914, serving for just over a year as a [[non-commissioned officer]] in the [[Corps of Army Schoolmasters]] attached to the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.<ref>British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914–1920, A-Z Nicholl – Parry Nur, Uddin – Nye, Wilfred P J</ref> In 1915, as a [[sergeant]], he was selected for a permanent [[Officer (armed forces)|commission]] in the [[Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)|Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment]], and was commissioned as a [[second lieutenant]] on 5 December 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=29417|page=12845| date=24 December 1915}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=(124) – Army lists > Half-yearly Army lists 1923 – Feb 1950 (From 1947, annual, despite the name) > 1938 > Second half – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland |url=https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/88737436 |website=digital.nls.uk |access-date=17 June 2020}}</ref>

He was further promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 5 September 1916, and to the [[acting rank]] of [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] in August 1917.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=29853|page=11972| date=8 December 1916}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=30283| supp=y|page=9518| date=14 September 1917}}</ref> Wounded twice in action, he was awarded the [[Military Cross]] for bravery.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=31266 | date=1 April 1919 |page=4331 |supp=y }}</ref>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=238}} The official citation for this ward reads:{{blockquote|For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 20th October, 1918 near Esscher. He made a reconnaissance, under heavy shell and machine-gun fire, of the forward positions along the whole battalion front adjusting a portion on his own initiative to complete the line. He was of great assistance to his commanding officer throughout the week's fighting.<ref name="MC">{{London Gazette| issue=31680|date=9 December 1919|page=15358| supp=y}}</ref>}}

[[File:Major General a E Nye H15636.jpg|thumb|left|Major-General Archibald Edward Nye, the Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff (VCIGS), at his desk in the War Office.]]

When the [[Leinster Regiment]] was disbanded, Nye was transferred to the [[Royal Warwickshire Regiment]].<ref name="Officers of the British Army" />{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=238}} During the [[interwar period]] he had a number of regimental appointments. Promoted to captain on 20 June 1923, he attended the staff officer's course at the [[Staff College, Camberley]] in 1924–25 which he successfully completed.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=32841|page=4617| date=3 July 1923}}</ref> Following this, he served as a [[staff officer]] in Air Cooperation from 1926–28 before becoming a [[brigade major]] with the [[3rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|33rd Infantry Brigade]].{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=238}} [[Brevet]]ted to [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] on 1 July 1930, he completed his graduation in law and qualified as a barrister at the [[Inner Temple]] in 1932.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=33624|page=4363| date=11 July 1930}}</ref> He was then posted as an instructor to the Staff College with the local rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-colonel]], and advanced to brevet lieutenant-colonel on 1 July 1934.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=33853|page=5139| date=9 August 1932}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34066|page=4230| date=3 July 1934}}</ref> Nye was promoted to the substantive rank of major on 8 September 1935, and to the substantive rank of lieutenant-colonel in September 1937.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34233| supp=y|page=8197| date=20 December 1935}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34457|page=7349| date=23 November 1937}}</ref> From late 1937 to early 1939, he commanded the 2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.<ref name=odnb/><ref name="Officers of the British Army" />

[[File:British Generals 1939-1945 NA23235.jpg|thumb|right|Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Nye, Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff with Lieutenant-Generals [[Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg|Freyberg]] (left) and [[Richard McCreery|McCreery]] (right) at Forli airfield, Italy during a flying visit to the [[British Eighth Army]].]]

On 20 May 1939, Nye was promoted to [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]], with the temporary rank of [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|brigadier]], and sent to [[British Raj|India]] to raise a [[brigade]], commanding the [[Nowshera Brigade]] from May 1939 to January 1940.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34632|page=3779| date=6 June 1939}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34648| supp=y|page=5106| date=25 July 1939}}</ref> In February 1940 he returned to London to take up the post of deputy director of Staff Duties, [[War Office]] and became Director of Staff Duties with the acting rank of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|major-general]] from 1 November.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=34988| supp=y|page=6479| date=8 November 1940}}</ref> Promoted to substantive major-general on 18 November 1941, in December he became [[Vice Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] under Sir Alan Brooke with the acting rank of [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] from 5 December.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=35369|supp=y|page=6937| date=2 December 1941}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=35377| supp=y|page=7043| date=9 December 1941}}</ref> The enormous burdens placed on Brooke meant that he needed to delegate many of his tasks and for this he relied heavily on Nye. The partnership was highly successful and Nye remained in the job for the rest of the war.{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=330}} It could be said that while Brooke ran the war, Nye ran the army.{{sfn|Mead|2007|p=328}} Advanced to the temporary rank of lieutenant-general on 5 December 1942, in the [[1944 Birthday Honours]] Nye was knighted as a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]], the first of five knighthoods he would ultimately be conferred with.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{London Gazette| issue=35836| supp=y|page=5625| date=25 December 1942}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">{{London Gazette| issue=36544| supp=y|page=2573| date=8 June 1944}}</ref> He was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-general on 14 September 1944.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=36711| supp=y|page=4373| date=19 September 1944}}</ref> Nye retired on 29 March 1946.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=37522| supp=y|page=1729| date=5 April 1946}}</ref>

==Later life==

Following his retirement, Nye was appointed [[Governor of Madras]] on 26 February 1946,<ref name="march">{{cite book|title=March to freedom in Madras Presidency, 1916–1947|author=Saroja Sundarrajan|page=632|publisher=Lalitha Publications|year=1989}}</ref> took charge on 5 May 1946<ref name="worldstatemen_british india">{{cite web|title=Provinces of British India – Madras|publisher=worldstatesmen|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Madras}}</ref> and served as governor till 7 September 1948.<ref name="wordlstatesmen">{{cite web|title=Indian States since 1947 – Tamil Nadu|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html#Tamil-Nadu|publisher=worldstatesmen}}</ref> The day prior to his appointment as governor there was a major labour strike in Madras.<ref name="march" /> The rest of his term was plagued by peasant uprisings all over the province.<ref name="struggle_asia">{{cite book|title=Struggle for Asia|url=https://archive.org/details/struggleforasia00lowf|url-access=limited|page=[https://archive.org/details/struggleforasia00lowf/page/n113 96]|author=Sir Francis Low|year=1972}}</ref> These rebellions were aided and abetted by the Communists who established miniature governments along the northern frontiers of the Presidency, thereby demanding military action.<ref name="struggle_asia" />

Nye attributed their success to the "zeal and energy of young men who conducted their own newspapers and who preached the creed of expropriating landlords and distributing their land to needy and hungry labourers".<ref name="struggle_asia" /> Nye was also the Colonel-in-chief of the [[Madras Regiment]] from 10 August 1946 to 31 March 1949.<ref name="madrasregiment">{{cite web|title=Madras Regiment |publisher=Indian Army |url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/infantry/inf_mds.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829075912/http://www.indianarmy.nic.in/infantry/inf_mds.html |archive-date=29 August 2009 }}</ref> The Recruits Training Centre was moved from [[Madukkarai]] near [[Coimbatore]] to [[Wellington, Tamil Nadu|Wellington]] in February 1947.<ref name="madrasregiment" /> Nye inaugurated the Madras offices of the [[British Council]] in July–August 1948.<ref name="thehindu_britishcouncil">{{cite news|title=Recalling the beginnings|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/21/stories/2005032100130300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051117214240/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2005/03/21/stories/2005032100130300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 November 2005|date=21 March 2005|work=[[The Hindu]]|author=S. Muthiah|author-link=S. Muthiah}}</ref>

In November 1947, when [[Sir Frederick Gentle]], the Chief Justice of the [[Madras High Court]], resigned over the Government of India order that the Chief Minister of the particular state should be consulted along with the Union Home Minister with regard to the selection of High Court judges, Nye expressed support for Gentle against political interference in appointment of judges.<ref name="rajendraprasadp293">{{cite book|title=Dr. Rajendra Prasad, correspondence and select documents, Volume 8|pages=293|publisher=Allied Publishers|year=1984|isbn=81-7023-002-0}}</ref>

Nye presided over independence day celebrations in Madras city. On 15 August 1947, Nye was sworn in by Chief Justice Gentle as the first Governor of Madras in the [[Dominion of India]] while [[O.P. Ramaswami Reddiar]] was sworn in as Premier.<ref name="thehindu_20120815">{{cite news|title=When city revelled in day-long jubilation|first=T.|last=Ramakrishnan|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3772441.ece|work=The Hindu|date=15 August 2012}}</ref> Nye unfurled the Indian tricolour at the [[Island Grounds]].<ref name="thehindu_20120815" />

Following his term in Madras, Nye was appointed the UK's [[List of High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to India|High Commissioner to India]], in which post he served from 1948 to 1952. He then served as the UK's [[List of High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Canada|High Commissioner to Canada]] from 1952 to 1956.<ref name=odnb/>

==Family==

In 1939, Nye married divorcee Una Sheila Colleen, daughter of Sir [[Harry Hugh Sidney Knox]]. The couple had one daughter, Harriet.<ref name=odnb/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Harriet Mary Sheila Newton-Clare (née Nye) - National Portrait Gallery |url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp162109/harriet-mary-sheila-newton-clare-nee-nye |access-date=2025-12-06 |website=www.npg.org.uk |language=en}}</ref>

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lady Nye was a member of [[Wiltshire County Council]] and was a member of its Education Committee.<ref>''The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory'' (1972), p. 856: "Nye, Lady, Alderstone Hse. Whiteparish, Salisbury"; ''The Education Committees' Year Book'' (1971), p. 238</ref>

==Honours==

<div class="center">

[[File:1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna.svg|100px]]
[[File:UK Order St-Michael St-George ribbon.svg|100px]]

[[File:Order of the Indian Empire Ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Order of the Bath UK ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.png|100px]]
[[File:Military cross BAR.svg|100px]]

[[File:1914 1915 Star ribbon bar.svg|100px]]
[[File:British War Medal BAR.svg|100px]]
[[File:Ribbon, World War I Victory Medal.svg|100px]]
[[File:War Medal 39-45 BAR.svg|100px]]

[[File:King George V Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:GeorgeVICoronationRibbon.png|100px]]
[[File:UK Queen EII Coronation Medal ribbon.svg|100px]]
[[File:Indian Independence medal 1947.svg|100px]]

</div>

Order of wear per current ''London Gazette'' regulations.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=62529 | supp=y|page=326|date=11 January 2019}}</ref>

*Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI) (August 14, 1947)<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=38161| supp=y|page=5|date=1 January 1948}}</ref>
*Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (GCMG) (June 7, 1951)<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=39243| supp=y|page=3064| date=7 June 1951}}</ref>
*Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) (February 8, 1946)<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=37461|page=863| date=8 February 1946}}</ref>
*Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Military Division (KCB) (January 1, 1946)<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=37407|page=5| date=1 January 1946}}</ref>
*Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (KBE) (June 1, 1944)
*Military Cross (MC) (1918)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last = Alanbrooke|first = Field Marshal Lord|editor1-first=Alex|editor1-last=Danchev|editor2-first=Daniel|editor2-last=Todman|author-link=Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke|title = War Diaries 1939–1945|publisher = Phoenix Press|year = 2001|isbn = 1-84212-526-5}}
*{{Cite book| first=Richard| last=Mead| title=Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II| year=2007| publisher=Spellmount| location=Stroud (UK)| isbn=978-1-86227-431-0}}
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Archibald Nye}}
*[https://www.unithistories.com/officers/bio/british/Nye_AE.html British Army Officers 1939−1945]
*[https://generals.dk/general/Nye/Archibald_Edward/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]
*[http://www.achart.ca/york/general_nye.htm Duke of York's School – Archibald Edward Nye]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box | title = [[Vice Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] | before =[[Henry Pownall|Sir Henry Pownall]] | after =[[Frank Simpson (British Army officer)|Sir Frank Simpson]] | years = 1941–1946}}
{{s-dip}}
|-
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to India|High Commissioner to India]] |years=1948–1952}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Alexander Clutterbuck]]}}
{{succession box
| before=[[Alexander Clutterbuck]]
| title=[[List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to Canada|High Commissioner to Canada]]
| years=1952–1956
| after=[[Saville Garner]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Tamil Nadu}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nye, Archibald}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1967 deaths]]
[[Category:Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers]]
[[Category:South Lancashire Regiment officers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Irish knights]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Governors of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to Canada]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:War Office personnel in World War II]]
[[Category:Academics of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:British Army lieutenant generals]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:People educated at the Duke of York's Royal Military School]]

Archibald Nye - Revision history

MarcyEdmond490 at 21:34, 3 May 2026