47 Facts About David Belchem

David Belchem commanded a detachment of six Vickers Mark III light tanks, in Mandatory Palestine, for which he was mentioned in despatches.

David Belchem passed the entrance examinations and was accepted into the Staff College, Camberley, but due to the outbreak of the Second World War he attended a truncated course at the new staff college in Haifa instead.

David Belchem participated in the Battle of Greece, and the chaotic evacuation.

David Belchem participated in the Western Desert campaign, and in January 1943, was appointed to command the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, which he led in the Tunisian campaign, earning an immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order.

David Belchem returned to the staff of the Eighth Army as its GSO1 until the end of the Sicilian operation, when he became the Brigadier General Staff.

David Belchem was considered the deputy chief of staff, and acted as chief of staff for a month in 1945.

David Belchem's father was wounded in the Great War, and four of his uncles were killed.

David Belchem had a Russian nanny, and attended a French and an Italian school in Florence, becoming fluent in Russian, French and Italian.

David Belchem was interested in automotive engineering, and took evening classes in the subject.

David Belchem Niven was the under officer in charge of the junior term cadets in his company.

David Belchem considered that tanks would become more important in the future, and the likely consequent expansion of the RTR would offer good prospects for advancement in a post-war army in which promotion was slow.

David Belchem knew from his father that the RTR encouraged officers to attend various military schools, which was not the case in some infantry regiments.

David Belchem came first in the passing out examination, for which he was awarded the Anson Memorial Sword, and he received the King's Medal for the cadet best qualified in military subjects.

David Belchem was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the RTR on 29 January 1931 and reported for duty at the RTR depot at Bovington Camp on 1 March 1931, along with six of his colleagues, including Alan Jolly.

David Belchem joined the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment at Lydd on 11 April 1932.

David Belchem was promoted to lieutenant on 29 January 1934.

David Belchem was in command of a detachment of six tanks based at Surafend, where they were attached to the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

David Belchem found his Russian useful for talking to the Jewish population, who mostly spoke Russian or German, whereas most British officials spoke only English and Arabic, and he was often called to act as an interpreter.

David Belchem's unit returned to Cairo on 3 November 1936.

David Belchem was mentioned in despatches for his service in Palestine.

David Belchem took the written section of the promotion examination by correspondence through the Metropolitan Services College in St Albans, earning a distinction.

David Belchem returned to London on 29 August 1937, where he pursued a course of study in the Italian language at London University.

David Belchem secured permission to sit the captain's examination at Pirbright in February 1938, and earned a distinction.

David Belchem was promoted to captain on 21 January 1939.

David Belchem passed, and with his bonus credits was one of the top ten candidates.

David Belchem proceeded to the UK on leave, but the impending outbreak of the Second World War, which occurred on 3 September 1939, caused his orders to be changed, and he immediately returned to Palestine.

David Belchem attended the course from March to June 1940, and was then assigned to the intelligence staff in Cairo, with the temporary rank of major.

David Belchem trained a South African Women's Auxiliary Army Service to do the job in the hope of being able to return to his regiment.

David Belchem received orders to join the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, but before they could take effect he was assigned instead to the headquarters of the newly formed Eighth Army.

David Belchem became the General Staff Officer Grade 1, the officer in charge of the Army's organisation and the main link between the general staff and administrative staff branches, with the temporary rank of lieutenant-colonel.

David Belchem served in this role during Operation Crusader, Battle of Gazala, Battle of Alam el Halfa and the Battle of El Alamein.

David Belchem became the only Royal Tank Regiment officer in the brigade.

David Belchem led the 1st Royal Tank Regiment in the Tunisian campaign, and was recommended for an immediate award of the Distinguished Service Order.

David Belchem's citation, written by his brigade commander, Brigadier Robert Hinde, read:.

David Belchem served as GSO1 at Eighth Army HQ until the end of the Sicilian operation, when Brigadier Charles Richardson was sent to command the British component of the staff of the US Fifth Army.

David Belchem replaced him as BGS, with the rank of brigadier, and directed the Eighth Army's operations in the Allied invasion of Italy.

David Belchem remained at Eighth Army HQ to assist Leese with the transition, but not for long; on 8 January 1944 he received orders to join the others.

David Belchem reported to Montgomery in London on 14 February 1944.

David Belchem acted as de Guingand's deputy and, despite his lack of seniority, as chief of staff in de Guingand's absence, including for an entire month in early 1945 when de Guingand was ill.

David Belchem received accolades from Allied nations; he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords by the Netherlands, a Commander of the Order of the White Lion by Czechoslovakia, and an officer of the Legion of Merit by the United States.

Montgomery and David Belchem would discuss each phase and relevant documents would be identified.

Montgomery returned to the UK in June 1946, but before leaving he arranged for David Belchem to attend the Imperial Defence College from January to December 1947.

In January 1948 David Belchem assumed command of the 6th Infantry Brigade, which was stationed at Mulheim in Germany as part of the BAOR.

David Belchem married Constance King in 1947; the marriage ended in divorce.

On 18 December 1953, David Belchem retired from the Army with the rank of major-general.

David Belchem worked in the field of nuclear power for Tube Investments.

David Belchem published a book on the subject A Guide to Nuclear Energy.