General Sir Harold Edmund Franklyn KCB DSO MC


Harold Franklyn was the son of Lt-General Sir William Edmund Franklyn KCB, also Colonel of the Green Howards from 1906 to 1914. Harold was born on 28 Nov 1885 and like his father, was educated at Rugby School. He was commissioned into the 19th Regiment in 1905 and attended Staff College before WW1. During that war he was mainly on the staff. In 1930 he was CO of the 1st Btn West Yorks Regiment and from 1935 CO of the Sudan Defence Force. From 1938 he was GOC 5th Infantry Division which was sent to France at the outbreak of war, as part of the BEF.

When the Germans broke through the French armies, aiming for the Channel coast there was a plan for a counter-attack. This involved ‘Frankforce’, the 5th Division, 50th Division and 1st Army Tank Brigade, all under the command of Harold Franklyn. It went in on 21 May 1940 and was initially successful but there was no support from French troops and a withdrawal was ordered two days later. Very soon the 5th Division was back in action in the Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal where heavy fighting took place. Franklyn’s efforts to hold the line enabled the 3rd Division to fill the gap in the line vacated by the Belgians who had surrendered. After this they were evacuated to Dunkirk. 

Franklyn was promoted to lieutenant-general for his good work and given command of VIII Corps which remained in the UK to defend the southwest against invasion. Between 1941 and 1943 Franklyn was posted to Ireland which remained neutral but had to be watched closely as the Nazis supported the IRA. After the war, Franklyn retired but continued his appointment as Colonel of the Green Howards which had begun on 21 Aug 1939. He was chairman of the Battles Nomenclature Committee from May 1946. He had been married to Monica Belfield since 1913 and they had a son and daughter. The son was Captain John Belfield Edmund Franklyn who served in the 6th Battalion Green Howards. He was killed in action in Holland on 27 Sep 1944, aged 22. General Sir Harold Franklyn died on 31 Mar 1963.


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by Stephen Luscombe