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Sir Francis Festing
28 February 1902(1902-02-28) – 3 August 1976 (aged 74)
Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing Crown Copyright
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Place of death	Hexham, Northumberland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1921 - 1961
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	2nd Bn East Lancashire Regiment 29th Infantry Brigade 36th Division Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong British Troops in Egypt Eastern Command Far East Land Forces
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	GCB, KBE, DSO

Field Marshal Sir Francis Wogan Festing GCB KBE DSO (28 August 1902 - 3 August 1976), called 菲士挺 in Chinese, was a field marshal of the British Army. He was father of Fra' Matthew Festing, Grand Master of Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Army career

Educated at Winchester College Festing was commissioned into 3rd Battalion the Rifle Brigade in 1921.^[1]

In 1940 he became Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment and then in 1942 Commander of 29th Infantry Brigade which was deployed to Madagascar.^[2]

In November 1942 he took command of 36th Division during the Arakan offensive of the Burma Campaign. He was Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong between 1945 and 1946, and then again from June to September in 1949.^[3]

He became General Officer Commanding British Troops in Egypt in 1952, General Officer Commanding Eastern Command in 1954 and Commander-in-Chief Far East Land Forces in 1956.^[3]

From 1958 to 1961 he was Chief of the Imperial General Staff.^[3]

Retirement

In retirement he collected early firearms and swords.^[4]

References

Further reading

• Wilkes, Lyall (1991) Festing - Field Marshal: A study of "Front Line Frankie", G.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O. Book Guild Ltd. ISBN 0-86332-532-7
• Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5

Chiefs of the General Staff of the British Army Chief of the General Staff Sir Neville Lyttelton Chiefs of the Imperial General Staff Sir William Nicholson • Sir John French • Sir Charles Douglas • Sir James Murray • Sir Archibald Murray • Sir William Robertson • Sir Henry Wilson • The Earl of Cavan • Sir George Milne • Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd • Sir Cyril Deverell • The Viscount Gort • Sir Edmund Ironside • Sir John Dill • Sir Alan Brooke • The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein • Sir William Slim • Sir John Harding • Sir Gerald Templer • Sir Francis Festing • Sir Richard Hull Chiefs of the General Staff Sir Richard Hull • Sir James Cassels • Sir Geoffrey Baker • Sir Michael Carver • Sir Peter Hunt • Sir Roland Gibbs • Sir Edwin Bramall • Sir John Stanier • Sir Nigel Bagnall • Sir John Chapple • Sir Peter Inge • Sir Charles Guthrie • Sir Roger Wheeler • Sir Michael Walker • Sir Mike Jackson • Sir Richard Dannatt • Sir David Richards