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Adrian Carton de Wiart

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Adrian Carton de Wiart

Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart, (; 5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963) was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" in various Commonwealth countries. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, groin, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. He was also blinded in his left eye, survived two plane crashes, tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp, and cut off his own severely injured fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war." After returning home from service (including a period as a prisoner-of-war) in the Second World War, he was sent to China as Winston Churchill's personal representative. While en route he attended the Cairo Conference. In his memoirs, Carton de Wiart wrote, "Governments may think and say as they like, but force cannot be eliminated, and it is the only real and unanswerable power. We are told that the pen is mightier than the sword, but I know which of these weapons I would choose." Carton de Wiart was thought to be a model for the character of Brigadier Ben Ritchie-Hook in Evelyn Waugh's trilogy Sword of Honour. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography described him thus: "With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Carton de Wiart looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend."

Infobox

Birth name
Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart
Born
(1880-05-05)5 May 1880Brussels, Belgium
Died
5 June 1963(1963-06-05) (aged 83)Aghinagh House, Killinardrish, County Cork, Ireland
Buried
Killinardish Churchyard, County Cork, Ireland
Allegiance
United Kingdom
Branch
British Army
Years of service
1899–19231939–1947
Rank
Lieutenant-General
Service number
836
Commands
61st Infantry Division134th Brigade12th Brigade8th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Battles / wars
mw- Second Boer War First World War Somaliland campaignBattle of the SommeBattle of PasschendaeleBattle of CambraiBattle of Arras (1918) Polish–Soviet War Polish–Ukrainian War Polish–Lithuanian War Second World War Invasion of PolandNorwegian campaignSecond Sino-Japanese War
Awards
Victoria CrossKnight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireCompanion of the Order of the BathCompanion of the Order of St Michael and St GeorgeDistinguished Service OrderMentioned in DespatchesVirtuti Militari (Poland)Croix de guerre (Belgium)Legion of Honour (France)Croix de Guerre (France)
Service years
1899–19231939–1947

Tables

· Awards and decorations
Victoria Cross (VC)
1916
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) (Military Division)
New Year Honours 1945
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) (Military Division)
Birthday Honours 1919
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
Birthday Honours 1918
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
1915
Queen's South Africa Medal
with clasps for "South Africa 1901, Transvaal, Orange Free State" and "Cape Colony"
Africa General Service Medal
with clasp for "Shimber Berris 1914–15"
1914 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal (United Kingdom)
with bronze oak leaf for MID
1939–45 Star
Africa Star
Burma Star
Italy Star
War Medal 1939-1945
with bronze oak leaf for MID
King George VI Coronation Medal
1937
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
1953
Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
1917
Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (Belgium)
1918
Silver Cross (Knight) of the Order of Military Virtue of Poland
1920
Cross of Valour (Poland)
Two awards (1920, 1941)
Commander of the Legion of Honour of France
Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)
With bronze palm for army-level MID
· External links
Preceded byRobert Collins
Preceded byRobert Collins
Military offices
Preceded byRobert Collins
Military offices
GOC 61st Infantry Division 1939–1941
Military offices
Succeeded byCharles Fullbrook-Leggatt
Honorary titles
Honorary titles
Military offices
Honorary titles
Preceded byArthur Solly-Flood
Preceded byArthur Solly-Flood
Military offices
Preceded byArthur Solly-Flood
Military offices
Colonel of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards 1940–1948
Military offices
Succeeded byJohn Aizlewood
Military offices
Preceded byRobert Collins
GOC 61st Infantry Division 1939–1941
Succeeded byCharles Fullbrook-Leggatt
Honorary titles
Preceded byArthur Solly-Flood
Colonel of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards 1940–1948
Succeeded byJohn Aizlewood

References

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  56. Petru Ignat, Gheorghe Matei, "Asasinarea lui Armand Călinescu" ("Armand Călinescu's Assassination"), in Magazin Istoric,
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  60. "Bombardment Of Namsos Aka Namsos Bombed"
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  96. "Sabaton unveil music video for new track "The Unkillable Soldier""
    https://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/news-sabaton-release-tenth-studio-album-the-war-to-end-all-wars/
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