Ronald Scobie

Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald MacKenzie Scobie, KBE, CB, MC (8 June 1893 – 23 February 1969) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First and Second World Wars, where he commanded the 70th Infantry Division and later III Corps. He was also a Scotland international rugby union player.

Sir Ronald Scobie

Date of birth	(1893-06-08)8 June 1893
Place of birth	Mandalay, British Burma
Date of death	23 February 1969(1969-02-23) (aged 75)
Place of death	Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Royal Military College () – Army Rugby Union () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1914 Blues Trial () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1914 Scotland 3 (0)
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1914–1947
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Unit	Royal Engineers
Commands	III Corps 70th Infantry Division
Battles / wars	First World War Second World War Greek Civil War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches (4) War Cross (Czechoslovakia) Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari (Poland)

Military career

Scobie was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

First World War

He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1914 and served during the First World War on the Western Front in France and Belgium. He was a General Staff Officer Grade 3 in France in 1918, and a Brigade Major in France from 1918 to 1920.

Between the wars

After the war, Scobie became Officer, Company of Gentlemen Cadets, Royal Marine Artillery, Woolwich 1920–1924; Staff Captain, Aldershot Command 1927–1929; Brigade Major, Aldershot Command 1929–1931 After attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1925 to 1926, he became Director of Military Artillery at the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1932 and, after attending the Imperial Defence College, was Assistant Adjutant General at the War Office in 1938.

Second World War

In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War Scobie, a brigadier, was deputy director of Mobilisation at the War Office. After this he held the position Deputy Adjutant General at General Headquarters, Middle East Land Forces in 1940 before being given command of the 70th Infantry Division, which was sent in to relieve the Australian 9th Division in Tobruk. Scobie was in command of the Tobruk fortress from 22 October 1941 to 13 December 1941, when, as part of Operation Crusader, the 70th Infantry Division led the break-out from Tobruk. In 1942 he became General Officer Commanding the Troops in Malta and on 22 March 1943 Scobie was promoted to lieutenant general and made Chief of the General Staff at General Headquarters Middle East. From 11 December 1943 he was given command of III Corps which was sent to Greece to expel the Germans but ended up becoming involved in the Greek Civil War. Scobie was in charge of the massacre that took place at Syntagma Square on 3 December 1944 at a demonstration involving 200,000 people, which left at least 28 dead after they were fired upon by soldiers. The Greek composer and lyricist Mikis Theodorakis who was present had spoken of at least 70 dead. This signaled the beginning of the Dekemvriana (Greek: Δεκεμβριανά, "December events"), a 37-day period of full-scale fighting in Athens between EAM (National Liberation Front) fighters and smaller parts of ELAS (Greek People’s Liberation Army), and the forces of the British army and the government.

He remained in command of British forces in Greece until 1946, retiring from the army in 1947.

Rugby Union career

Amateur career

He played rugby union for the Royal Military College.

He played for the Army Rugby Union against the Royal Navy Rugby Union in the 1914 Inter-Services match.

Provincial career

He played for the Blues Trial side against the Whites Trial side on 10 January 1914.

International career

He was capped three times by Scotland, all in 1914.

Other sports

He played cricket for Cheltenham College and for the Royal Engineers.

Bibliography

• Maule, Henry (1975). Scobie, Hero of Greece: The British Campaign, 1944-5. Barker, 1975. ISBN 9780213165543.
• Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: a biographical guide to the key British generals of World War II. Stroud (UK): Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0.
• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.

External links

• WWII Peoples War: Force 140
• British Army Officers 1939–1945
• Generals of World War II
• Ronald Scobie at ESPNscrum