Gordon King Archibald
Gordon King Archibald (1885-1942)
1943 Obituary [1]
Brigadier GORDON KING ARCHIBALD, D.S.O., R.A.S.C., whose death occurred on active service, was born in 1885 and educated at Magdalen College School and Keble College, Oxford. He received his commission in 1905 and after attending a course of instruction in mechanical transport at Aldershot in 1909, gained practical experience as an apprentice in the works of Messrs. J. I. Thornycroft and Company. From 1911 to 1913 he was officer-in-charge of the motor transport workshops at Aldershot. In 1914 he proceeded to France and was O.C., Cavalry Supply Column, with the rank of major.
At the early age of 31 he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel and was in command of the base motor transport depot, Mesopotamia, from 1916 to 1919. For his services during the war he was mentioned in dispatches six times, and in 1917 was awarded the D.S.O. On his return to England he was for some time O.C., Home Motor Transport Depot, London. In the present war Brigadier Archibald served in France as Director of Supplies and Transport, being also mentioned in dispatches, and was with the troops evacuated at Dunkirk. He was then appointed Deputy Director, Supplies and Transport, Aldershot Command, and from there went to a similar appointment to assist in the formation of another command.
At the time of his death, which occurred on 27th December 1942, he was in command of an R.A.S.C. Training Brigade. Brigadier Archibald was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1920.