| Biography | General Sir (Francis Robert) Roy Bucher, KBE CB MC (18951980) was Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
Educated at the Edinburgh Academy, Bucher served in World War I with 1st Bn Cameronians in France from 1914 to 1915 when he joined the 55th Cokes Rifles in India. Confirmed as a second lieutenant in the Indian Army on 5 September 1915, he was promoted to lieutenant on 15 November 1916 (back-dated to 1 September 1915 on 17 August 1917)
He transferred to the 31st Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers in 1916, and was promoted to acting captain on 23 May 1917, again receiving the rank from 16 October 1917.
After the War he served in Afghanistan and Waziristan, for which he was awarded a Military Cross (MC) on 1 January 1920. and then went to the Staff College, Camberley in 1926. He was made Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for the Deccan District in India in 1930. He was promoted to major on 15 August 1932, and brevetted lieutenant-colonel on 1 July 1937.
Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 November 1939, Bucher served in World War II, initially as Commandant of Sam Browne's Cavalry and then as Assistant Adjutant General at GHQ India from 1941. He was made Assistant Quartermaster General in Iraq later that year and was put in charge of Administration at Southern Command in India on 21 March 1942, with the acting rank of major-general. He was promoted to colonel on 1 August (with seniority from 1 July 1940), and advanced to temporary major-general on 21 March 1943. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1945 New Year Honours, Bucher was promoted to major-general on 6 April 1945 (with seniority from 5 June 1944).
After the War he was appointed General Officer Commanding Bengal and Assam Area in India. Promoted to acting lieutenant-general on 4 August 1946, he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command in India and in 1948 he was made Commander-in-Chief, India. Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (KBE) in the 1948 King's Birthday Honours, he retired on 9 October 1949 with the honorary rank of general and was promoted to major-general on the reserve list on 26 September 1950, retaining the honorary rank of general. |