General Sir James Frederick Noel Birch was a British Royal Artillery officer during the Second Boer War and the First World War who served as Master-General of the Ordnance from 1923 to 1927.
12 Facts About Noel Birch
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Birch was the second son of Major Richard Birch and was born at Llanrhaiadr, Denbighshire and educated at Giggleswick School, Marlborough College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
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Noel Birch was promoted on 15 March 1900 from the supernumary rank of captain to captain and then to major, dated 19 June, and served in Cape Colony the following year.
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Noel Birch was in command of the Riding Establishment at Woolwich from 1905 to 1907.
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Noel Birch went with his brigade to France in August 1914, serving under the command of Major General Sir Edmund Allenby, in the retreat from Mons and in the First Battle of the Aisne and Ypres-Armentieres.
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Noel Birch was made a brevet colonel the next month.
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Noel Birch was promoted to temporary major general in February 1916, which was made substantive in January 1917.
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Noel Birch was promoted again, to substantive lieutenant-general, in January 1919 and in October that year he was made a colonel commandant of the Royal Artillery.
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In February 1920, Noel Birch became director of remounts at the War Office, taking over from Major General William Henry Birkbeck.
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Noel Birch was promoted general in October 1926 and retired from the army in the following year to become a director of Vickers-Armstrong.
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Noel Birch married Florence Hyacynthe Chetwode, the third daughter of Sir George Chetwode and Alice Jane Bass and sister of Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode.
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Noel Birch died on 3 February 1939 at Kings College Hospital, London aged 73.