Bot at 19:23, 28 September 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Clement West
|image=
|caption=
|birth_date={{birth date|1892|08|13|df=yes}}
|birth_place=[[Manmad]], [[British Raj|British India]]
|death_date={{death date and age|1972|04|04|1892|08|13|df=yes}}
|death_place=[[Heathfield, East Sussex]], [[England]]
|rank=[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-general]]
|serviceyears=1912–1946
|servicenumber=5397
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|commands=
|battles=[[First World War]] [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] [[Second World War]]
|awards=[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Companion of the Distinguished Service Order]] [[Military Cross]] [[Mentioned in dispatches]] (3)
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''Clement Arthur West''' {{post-nominals|CB|DSO|MC}} (13 August 1892 – 4 April 1972) was a senior [[British Army]] officer who fought in the [[First World War]] and the [[Second World War]].

==Military career==
Clement Arthur West was born on 13 August 1892 in [[Manmad]], [[British Raj|British India]], the only son of Clement West. He went to [[England]] where he was educated at [[The King's School, Canterbury]] and the [[Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]].<ref name="Officers of the British Army">{{cite web|url=https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_W01a.html#West_CA|title=British Army officer histories|publisher=Unit Histories|access-date=2022-01-12}}</ref> After [[Passing out (military)|passing out]] from Woolwich, he was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Royal Engineers]] of the [[British Army]] on 19 July 1912. [[Noel Martin (British Army officer)|Noel Martin]], [[Colin Jardine (British Army officer)|Colin Jardine]], [[Harold Price-Williams (British Army officer)|Harold Price-Williams]] and [[Bernard Keith Young|Bernard Young]], all future [[general officer]]s, were among his fellow graduates.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28634|date=9 August 1912|page=5920}}</ref>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=329}}

He first saw active service on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] between 1914 and 1918, during which he was wounded, received the [[Military Cross]] and was twice [[mentioned in dispatches]]. Promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 27 August 1914,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28886|date=1 September 1914|page=6899}}</ref> he ended the war with the rank of captain, having been promoted to that rank on 26 June 1917.<ref name="Officers of the British Army" />{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=329}}

Between 1919 and 1922, West was Assistant Instructor Survey at the [[Royal School of Military Engineering]], before working at the [[War Office]] until 1927. He then attended the [[Staff College, Camberley]] from 1927 to 1928. While there he received a promotion to [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] on 25 September 1928.<ref name="Officers of the British Army" /> From 1930 to 1932 he served as brigade major on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] and from 1932 to 1934 worked for the General Staff of the [[British Indian Army]]. He was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] in 1932.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33823|date=6 May 1932|page=2958}}</ref>

Between October 1934 and January 1936 West was Deputy Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office. In 1936 he attended the [[Royal College of Defence Studies|Imperial Defence College]] in London.<ref name="Officers of the British Army" /> In 1937 he was commander, Royal Engineers in the [[3rd (United Kingdom) Division|3rd Division]].<ref name="Officers of the British Army" />

During the Second World War, West worked in various staff positions in the United Kingdom until December 1942 when he was made Commanding Officer, East Central District, Home Forces. Promoted to the acting rank of major-general on 4 December 1942,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35826|date=15 December 1942|page=5499|supp=y}}</ref> (made temporary on 4 December 1943)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36274|date=3 December 1943|page=5325|supp=y}}</ref> between April 1943 and 1945 he served as a major-general on the [[Imperial General Staff]] in numerous positions. From 1945 until his retirement in 1946, West was major-general in charge of Administration, [[Southern Command (United Kingdom)|Southern Command]].<ref name="Officers of the British Army" />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{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==
*[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_W01a.html#West_CA British Army Officers 1939−1945]
*[http://www.generals.dk/general/West/Clement_Arthur/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Clement}}
[[Category:1892 births]]
[[Category:1972 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:People educated at The King's School, Canterbury]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:War Office personnel in World War II]]
[[Category:British Army major generals]]
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]

Clement West - Revision history

Bot at 19:23, 28 September 2022