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Rank : Brigadier

Army Number : 14723

Unit : 1st Bn, 2nd Bn

Biography :

Educated at Cheltenham College and at RMC Sandhurst, Gerrard Stayner was commissioned into The Leicestershire Regiment on 16.7.1919, and posted to 1st Bn in Ireland. Promoted Lieutenant 16.7.1921. Transferred to 2nd Bn in 1924 in Khartoum. Seconded to the Sudan Defence Force on 27.2.1925, and appointed Staff Captain on 1.1.1927, an appointment he held until 18.8.1932 (Granted local rank of Captain on 16.4.1930). Appointed DAQMG of the Sudan Defence Force (and granted local rank of Major) on 1.12.1932. Promoted Captain on 3.8.1934. Returned to regimental duty on 27.2.1935. Attended the Staff College 21.1.1936-21.1.1937. Appointed Staff Captain HQ 54th (E. Anglian) Div on 19.4.1937. Promoted Major on 1.8.1938. Staff Captain HQ 7th Div on 26.9.1938 and G.S.O.2, The British Forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan on 26.10.1938, and promoted to GSO1 (with local rank of Lt Col) on 1.7.1939, for which he was awarded a Mention in Despatches (L.G. 22.12.1939). He was subsequently awarded a Mention in Despatches on three further occasions for staff work in the Middle East (L.G. 1.4.1941, 30.6.1942, and 6.4.1944 [ME]). He was awarded the O.B.E. as DAQMG, HQ Troops Sudan & Eritrea, 1941 (L.G. 30.12.1941), the C.B.E. as DA & QMG, HQ Malta Command 1942-43 (L.G. 13.10.1943), the C.B. as Senior Admin Officer, HQ Eighth Army, Italy 1944-45 (L.G. 13.12.1945, and the USA's Legion of Honour (Officer) as DAQMG, British Increment, HQ US Fifth Army, Italy, Feb-Apr 1944 (L.G. 14.5.1948).
After WW2 he was promoted Colonel on 18.3.1946 and Brigadier on 1.2.1950 when he became Deputy Commander Gibraltar. He retired on 11.11.1953. At the Imperial War Museum, in December 1978 he recorded an oral history of his time in the Sudan and Middle East (catalogue number 3999). He died in 1980, aged 80 years.
He was a First Cousin of Lt Col P D S Palmer of the Regiment.
There is a paper file on him in The National Achives (Ref No. 339/137966), which relates to his entry into RMC Sandhurst rather than his initial application for officer training at Quetta, India.

Date of Birth : 29.7.1900

Place of Birth : Dorney Court, Bucks

Date of Death : Sep 1980

Place of Death : Greenwich, Greater London

Period of Service : 1919-1953

Conflicts : Palestine, WW2

Places Served : Ireland, Sudan, England, Palestine, Eritrea, Middle East, Malta, Italy, Gibraltar