Archibald Sholto George Douglas, CBE

Major-General Archibald Sholto George Douglas , British general , * 17 March 1896 , Royston , Hertfordshire , England , † 17th March 1981 , North Dorset , Dorset , England.

 

(1896 – 1981) son of Captain George Sholto Douglas 1858-1916 and Lady Laura Wentworth-Fitzwilliam of FitzWilliam 1869-1936.  He was a grandson of the 17th Earl of Morton.

He married Violet Davison, and had 4 children, Colin, James, Gavin and Joanna..

 

He was educated at Eton College, Windsor and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

 

He fought in the First World War and he was mentioned in despatches. A Captain in the 4th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, he was appointed Allied Commissioner General during the 'Armeno-Georgian Entanglement', establishing the British Headquarters at Alaverdi c1918/1919(1).

 

Captain Archibald Sholto George Douglas, a member of the 4th Battalion, Rifle Brigade, played a crucial role as the Allied commissioner general in the region of Borchalu. His responsibilities were significant: overseeing matters related to the zone's borders, troop composition, administration structure, and local militia. The neutral zone, which encompassed Alaverdi's productive copper mines, forty-three predominantly Armenian villages, and approximately 50 miles of railway with six stations, was divided into three districts: Uzunlar, Voiontsovka, and Alaverdi. Each district, along with its thirteen subdivided village clusters, was to have a native resident commissar.

Captain Douglas had been leading a peacekeeping mission in this disputed zone since the cessation of hostilities. On 2th January 1919, he was formally appointed as the Allied commissioner general with the rank of Acting Major. Supported by one company from the 4th Brigade Rifles, Douglas established British headquarters in Alaverdi. His reports, much like Colonel Ritchie's (the British Military Representative, Akhalkalak) communiqués, were notably critical of Georgian officials, especially those in the Armenian villages situated just within the neutral zone

 

He fought in the Second World War and was mentioned in despatches.

 

He was appointed Commander, Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in 1943. He was awarded the Order of Kutuzov of the U.S.S.R(2) in 1944.

 

He died in 1981, and is buried in the graveyard of St Mary's, Dalmahoy.

 

 

Military ranks:

 

C1918, Captain

27 Jan 1919, Acting Major

 

14 Jan 1933 gazetted as Lt. Col.

1940-06-19 Lieutenant-Colonel

1940-06-19 Acting Colonel
1940-12-19 Temporary Colonel
1941-03-12 Relinquish the Temporary rank of Colonel
1942-04-20 Temporary Colonel
1942-09-30 Relinquish the Temporary rank of Colonel
1942-10-09 Temporary Colonel
1942-10-09 Acting Brigadier
1943-04-09 Temporary Brigadier
1943-12-31 Colonel (Dated back to 1943-06-19)
1944-08-20 Acting Major-General
1944-11-18 Relinquish the Acting rank of Major-General
1945-01-18 Relinquish the Temporary rank of Brigadier
1945-06-24 Local Brigadier
1946-06-30 Granted the Honorary rank of Brigadier

Appointments:

27 Jan 1919 - Aug 1919 British Commissioner-general of Lori Neutral Zone (at Alaverdi)

1st October 1930 relinquished appointment as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General to the Iraq Levies

1940-06-15 – 1941-01-12 Commandant of Tactical School, Middle East
1941-XX-XX Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (North Africa)
1942-01-31 – 1942-04-02 Commanding Officer ? Troops
1942-04-20 – 1942-09-30 Commanding Officer ? Sub-Area Middle East
1942-10-09 – 1944-11-18 Commanding Officer Persia Area, Persia
1943-01-XX – 1944-10-15 General Officer Commanding 12th Indian Division
1945-06-24 – Assistant Commandant of Staff College Camberley (Sandhurst)
1946-08-30 Retired