David Murray-Lyon facts for kids

Major General David Murray-Lyon (born August 14, 1890 – died February 4, 1975) was a brave officer in the British Indian Army. He became a Major General, which is a very high rank. His last big job was leading the 11th Indian Infantry Division in Malaya (now part of Malaysia). He was later captured by the Japanese when Singapore fell during World War II and remained a prisoner until the war ended.

David Murray-Lyon's Early Life

David Murray-Lyon was born in a place called Glendale, Northumberland, England, on August 14, 1890. He was the oldest son of Dr. Thomas Malcolm Lyon. In 1916, he married Meredith Napier. They had two daughters and one son together.

Joining the Army

Murray-Lyon started his military career in 1908. He became a second lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery. This was part of the Territorial Force, which was a reserve army group. In 1910, he moved to another group called the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Then, in 1911, he became a full-time army officer. He joined the 1st Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry in Lucknow, India.

Fighting in World War I

When the First World War began in 1914, many British soldiers around the world returned home. They went to fight on the Western Front in Europe. Murray-Lyon's unit, the Highland Light Infantry, arrived there in late 1914. They were in the trenches by early 1915.

During the battles of 1915, Murray-Lyon was promoted to a temporary captain. He was wounded twice while fighting. He was also praised for his actions in Flanders and received the Military Cross award. After recovering from his injuries, he worked in England in 1916. He was a major and an adjutant (a senior assistant) for the 4th Battalion.

Bravery on the Front Lines

In December 1916, Murray-Lyon went back to France. He was the second-in-command of the 2nd Battalion. He stayed on the front lines through 1916 and most of 1917. In November 1917, he was given command of a battalion from the King's Regiment (Liverpool).

While leading this battalion, he earned the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). This award was for his bravery during an attack on his trenches at Mœuvres. The award said he showed "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." It also said he bravely drove out the enemy and held his position with "splendid coolness and determination."

Between 1917 and 1918, he was mentioned in official reports three more times for his leadership. In April 1918, he became a temporary lieutenant colonel. He took command of the 2nd Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. In June 1918, he led the 1st/15th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. He stayed in command of this group for the rest of the war.

Between the Wars

After World War I, the British Army became smaller. Many officers, including Murray-Lyon, had their ranks lowered. Murray-Lyon became a major again. He returned to the Highland Light Infantry. In 1920, he became an adjutant for the 6th Battalion. Later, with the 2nd Battalion, he worked in Egypt and India.

In 1927, he moved to the British Indian Army. In 1932, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He then took command of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Prince of Wales's Own Gurkha Rifles.

Fighting on the North-West Frontier

In 1936, Murray-Lyon fought in Waziristan. This was on the North West Frontier. For his actions there, he received a Bar to his DSO. This meant he earned the award a second time. He commanded the 2/4th Gurkha Rifles until 1939. After that, he became a liaison officer for the Indian Army in Scotland.

World War II and Capture

When the Second World War started, Murray-Lyon went back to India. In 1940, he was given command of the Zhob Brigade. In October 1940, he took command of the new 11th Indian Division.

The Battle for Malaya

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. They had also sent soldiers to attack British forces in Malaya. Murray-Lyon's 11th Indian Division was in northern Malaya, near the border with Thailand.

The British Army in Malaya knew the Japanese might invade. They had even made plans for defense. But they were too confident and not ready for the strong Japanese Army. Murray-Lyon's division looked good on paper. However, it had only two regular British Army battalions. The rest were four newly trained Indian Army battalions and three Gurkha battalions. One Gurkha group had 18-year-olds who had just arrived. There were no tanks in Malaya and not enough planes. With these challenges, Murray-Lyon faced the Japanese attacks in December 1941.

Facing the Japanese Advance

The Japanese attacked Murray-Lyon's positions very quickly. Their tanks, planes, and soldiers attacked in waves. They constantly went around any resistance. Soon, the 11th Division was retreating. The Japanese advanced so fast that their motorcycle scouts often drove through the retreating British groups. Once, Murray-Lyon quickly pulled out his pistol and shot one of the Japanese motorcyclists.

Unfortunately, the British commanders in Singapore did not fully understand how unprepared their defenses were. They also did not realize how fast the Japanese Army could move. Because of this, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival removed Murray-Lyon from his command on December 23, 1941.

Murray-Lyon was captured by the Japanese when Singapore fell. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. Even though he was a brave and skilled commander, he was not given another command after the war. This surprised many other officers in the Indian Army.