Have You a Tiger In Your Family?

Rank : Major General

Army Number : 31731

Unit : 1st Bn, 2nd Bn

Biography :

Educated at Oundle School, John Spurling was in 4th Bn The Northamptonshire Regiment (TA) while undegoing officer training at the RMC Sandhurst 1925-27. He was commissioned into The Leicestershire Regiment on 3.9.1927. He served initially in the 1st Battalion in India (promoted Lieutenant 3.9.1930) then from Feb 1936 in the 2nd Battalion at Londonderry, Aldershot (promoted Captain 8.5.1937) and in Palestine (being Adjutant 1938-39). After attending the Staff College at Camberley in 1939, he was in turn GSO3 in HQ 51st Highland Division Nov 1936-Feb 1940, and GSO2 in HQ 1st Division, Home Forces GHQ and HQ 3 Division up to Jul 1941, when he became a student at the Sebnior Officers School July 1941-Apr 1942. After 3 months as a GSO2 in Military Operations at the War Office as a temp Lt Col, he served in the Middle and Far East as GSO2 Liaison Officer to those two Theatres. He was CO 7th Wiltshires from Apr 1943-Jan 1944, and then a GSO1 in the Military Training Inspectorate at the War Office. For the campaign in North West Europe, he was initially a reserve Commanding Officer waiting to replace a casualty. In June 1944 he duly took command of 2/5th Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers (in 197 Bde of 59 Div), taking part in the fighting near Caen until the whole formation was disbanded in August 1944. He commanded 69th Infantry Brigade from Aug-Oct 1944 and then 131 Lorried Infantry Brigade (of 7 Armd Div) from October 1944 until November 1945. During this period he was awarded an Immediate D.S.O. for his leadership in an action on 6-8 April 1945 on the Dortmund-Ems canal at Ibbenburen. On 3 May he accepted the surrender of Hamburg and in June 1945 he led his Brigade into Berlin as the first British formation to enter the German capital. He was responsible for the organisation and execution of the British Victory Parade in Berlin on 21 July where the salute was taken by the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
In December 1945 he was appointed Deputy Director of Military Training at the War Office and then commanded 4th Parachute Brigade (TA) from 1948-50. In May 1950 he became Commandant of the Senior Officers' School, being appointed C.B.E. in 1953. In November of that year he was appointed Chief of Staff HQ West African Coast. In June 1955, on promotion to Major General, he became Chief of Staff HQ Northern Command at York, being appointed C.B. in 1957. He retired from the Army in 1958.
In retirement he gained a great reputation for his success in coaching officers for their Promotion and Staff College exams. He also became a Governor of Milton Abbey School, Dorset.
He was Deputy Colonel The Royal Anglian Regiment (Leicestershire and Rutland) from 1965-71. He died in 1980, aged 73 years.
There is a brass memorial plaque to his memory in the Regimental Chapel in Leicester Cathedral.

This page was last edited on 11.6.2019.

Date of Birth : 9.5.1906

Place of Birth : Oundle, Northamptonshire

Date of Death : 23.1.1980

Place of Death : Sturminster Newton, Dorset

Period of Service : 1927-58

Conflicts : Palestine, WW2

Places Served : UK, India, Palestine, Burma, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany