Douglas McConnel


Douglas Fitzgerald McConnel was a senior British Army officer who served as General Officer Commanding British Troops in Palestine and Trans-Jordan.

Military career

Born the son of William Holdsworth McConnel, a Royal Navy officer, and Florence Emma. He was born with a twin brother, George Malcolm, who died in 1908. Douglas was educated at Winchester College and then entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He played in the Association Football XI in 1910-11 and the Lord's XI in 1911.
McConnel, after passing out from Woolwich, was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery on 20 December 1912, alongside future generals Ivor Thomas, William Mirrlees, William Morgan, both fellow artillerymen, and Christopher Woolner of the Royal Engineers. He served in World War I, in France and Palestine, during which he was mentioned in dispatches three times, awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1917, and, promoted on 22 May 1915 to lieutenant and captain on 20 December 1916, McConnel ended the war in 1918 as a major.
After the war he became a staff captain at the School of Artillery in 1920. After attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1925 to 1926, he went on to be Officer Commanding the Gentlemen Cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, a General Staff Officer at the Royal Army Service Corps Training Centre in 1933 and a General Staff Officer at the Staff College in 1936.
He served in World War II, initially as a GSO in Mandatory Palestine during the final stages of the Arab revolt, and Trans-Jordan and then from 1941 as General Officer Commanding of British Troops in Palestine and Trans-Jordan. In July 1940 he was mentioned in despatches and was promoted to acting major general on 16 October 1941, and temporary major general on 16 October 1942. After the War he became General Officer Commanding Lowland District in Scotland before retiring in 1947.
McConnel lived at Knockdolian near Gillemichael in Ayrshire.

Family

He married Ruth Mary Garnett-Botfield, daughter of Major Walter Dutton Garnett-Botfield. They had one daughter, Diana, who became the Duchess of Wellington.