Logan Scott-Bowden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Logan Scott-Bowden
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 21 February 1920 Whitehaven, Cumbria, England |
| Died | 9 February 2014 (aged 93) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1939−1974 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | 95182 |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Commands held | 17th Field Company, Royal Engineers Ulster Defence Regiment |
| Battles/wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross and Bar |
Major General Logan Scott-Bowden (21 February 1920 – 9 February 2014) was a brave British army officer. He was part of the Royal Engineers during World War II. Later, he became the first leader of the Ulster Defence Regiment. After leaving the army in 1974, he continued to serve as a special leader for the Royal Engineers until 1980.
Contents
Early Life and Joining the Army
Logan Scott-Bowden was born in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England, on 21 February 1920. His father was also a military officer. Logan went to Malvern College and then to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. This is where he trained to become an officer. He officially joined the Royal Engineers on 3 July 1939.
Secret Missions in World War II
Scott-Bowden first served in Norway in 1940. Later, he joined the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. In 1942 and 1943, he worked with Canadian and American forces.
His most famous work was with the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP). This was a secret group that scouted beaches. Their job was to check beaches before big landings, like the D-Day invasion.
Scouting for D-Day
Scott-Bowden and another COPP member, Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith, had a very risky job. They swam ashore in Normandy more than thirty times. They did this at night, secretly, to collect sand samples. They needed to know if the sand on the beaches was strong enough for tanks to drive on. A test landing in England showed they could do this without being caught.
On 31 December 1943, during an operation called KJH, they landed on Gold Beach. They swam from a special landing craft. They found that some parts of the sand were thin. They were supported by weak, soft peat. They took samples back to the UK. This helped military planners prepare for the weaker beaches.
Scott-Bowden and Ogden-Smith went back to Normandy in January 1944. This time, they used a tiny X-class midget submarine called X20. This mission was called Operation Bellpush Able. They swam ashore twice onto parts of Omaha Beach.
After this mission, Scott-Bowden met with General Omar Bradley. Scott-Bowden bravely told him, "Sir, I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but this beach is a very formidable proposition indeed and there are bound to be tremendous casualties." General Bradley understood and replied, "I know, my boy. I know."
On D-Day itself, both Scott-Bowden and Ogden-Smith helped guide the first American troops landing on Omaha Beach. After this, Scott-Bowden led the 17 Field Squadron for the rest of the war.
Service After World War II
After World War II ended, Logan Scott-Bowden continued his military career. He served in many different places around the world. These included Burma, Palestine, Korea, and Aden.
His last big task was in Northern Ireland. He was given the important job of creating the Ulster Defence Regiment. This was a new army unit. His final job in the army was as the Head of the British Defence Liaison Staff in India. He was promoted to Major General for this role.
After he retired from active service in 1974, he still helped the army. He served as the Colonel-Commandant of the Royal Engineers from 1975 to 1980.
Personal Life
In 1950, Logan Scott-Bowden married Helen Jocelyn. They had a large family together. They had three sons and three daughters.
Awards and Honours
Logan Scott-Bowden received several important awards for his bravery and service:
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) - This is a high honour given for a major role in public service.
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Another honour for a significant achievement.
- Distinguished Service Order (DSO) - Awarded for outstanding leadership during wartime. He received this for his work on the Normandy reconnaissance in January 1944.
- Military Cross (MC) - Given for acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy. He received this for his reconnaissance work in December 1943 and January 1944.
- Bar to the Military Cross (MC and Bar) - This means he received the Military Cross a second time.
