• Operation Frankton

Date of birth:

July 25th, 1882 (Inverness, Scotland)

Date of death:

June 24th, 1967 (Newton Abbot/Devon, United Kingdom)

Nationality:

British

Born on July 25, 1882, Alan Bourne was the son of Reverend Charles William Bourne, a respected clergyman and educator. His father shaped young Alan's disciplined upbringing, preparing him for a life of military service.

In 1911, Bourne married Lilian Mary Poole, daughter of Colonel Poole Gabbett, and together they had one daughter, Elizabeth Muriel Barwys, who later married officers in the South Wales Borderers and Royal Marines.


Bourne joined the Royal Marine Artillery in 1899 as a Second Lieutenant, quickly rising through the ranks. He served on HMS Majestic, HMS Renown, and HMS Tiger, gaining operational experience before joining ground forces in France and Belgium during World War I.

After the war, Bourne held leadership roles in the British Army of the Rhine and various training academies. By the late 1930s, he had reached the rank of Major-General, followed by Lieutenant-General in 1941 and General in 1942. He served as Adjutant-General Royal Marines (1939–1943) before retiring. Bourne was the last Royal Marines officer commissioned under Queen Victoria.

Promotions:
- First of September, 1899 – Second Lieutenant
- First of July, 1900 – Lieutenant
- First of September, 1910 – Captain
- Sixth of June, 1917 – Major
- June, 1918 – Temporary Lieutenant Colonel
- Sixteenth of June, 1929 – Lieutenant Colonel
- Thirty-first of December, 1932 – Brevet Colonel
- First of September, 1933 – Colonel 2nd Commandant (Dated back to Thirty-first of December, 1932)
- Fifth of October, 1935 – Colonel-Commandant
- Fifth of October, 1935 – Temporary Brigadier
- First of October, 1938 – Major-General
- Thirty-first of July, 1941 – Lieutenant-General
- Twenty-sixth of January, 1942 – General

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• - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34396/supplement/3078/data.pdf
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  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/12169/page/881