LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR ADRIAN PAUL GHISLAIN CARTON DE WIART, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO

Born: 5 May 1880, Brussels, Belgium

Died: 5 June 1963, Cork, Ireland

Belgian born Adrian Carton de Wiart

Was from an aristocratic family

But was educated in England

And was an officer in the British Army

He was a career soldier who served

In the Second Boer War, and India

During World War I he fought

In the Somaliland campaign

Battles of the Somme, Passchendaele

Cambrai and the Battle of Arras

Between 1918 and 1921

He was involved in the wars

Between Poland and the Soviets,

Ukrainians and Lithuanians

He retired from the Army in 1923

For the life of a Polish Gentleman

But after 15 peaceful years

World War 2 loomed large

And he fought with the Poles

During the German invasion

Before he was recalled to Britain

And soon had a significant role

In Britain’s Norwegian campaign

Then a brief spell in Northern Island

His next mission was to Yugoslavia

He flew from Malta after refuelling

But both engines failed, and they crashed

Off the coast of Libya and were captured

During his two years of captivity

He made numerous escape attempts

In the end he was released by the Italians

Two years later to act as an envoy

In prelude of an Italian surrender

Then at Winston Churchills behest

He was sent to communist China

During the Second Sino-Japanese War

As Churchills personal representative

And stayed until 1947 when he retired

Despite being offered a job

By the Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek

Carton de Wiart suffered numerous

Injuries by enemy shot and shell

During his long military career

To his head, face, stomach, groin,

Ankle, leg, hip and arms

And survived two plane crashes

He lost an eye and part of his ear

In the Somaliland campaign

And his left hand at the Battle of Ypres

In recognition of his distinguished service

His awards are as numerous as his scars

He was Mentioned in Despatches,

Received The Victoria Cross,

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire,

Companion of the Order of the Bath,

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George

Distinguished Service Order

The Polish Virtuti Militari,

The Belgium Croix de guerre

And the French Legion of Honour

And the Croix de Guerre