Bertram Aloysius Forbes

Rank:	Lieutenant; later Colonel
Street:
Townland:	Castle Forbes
Town/Village:	Newtownforbes
Civil Parish:	Clonguish
Catholic Parish:	Clonguish
Country:
Alternative Address:
Census 1901:	Resident with family at Castle Forbes. www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Longford/Newtownforbes/Castleforbes_Demesne/1553116/
Census 1911:	N/A
Regiment/Unit:	Egyptian Expeditionary Force; later Royal Irish Rifles
Regiment Number:	N/A
Date of Death:	05-08-1960
Cause:	Natural causes, survived WW1 and WW2
Memorial:	Forbes Family crypt, Castle Forbes, Newtownforbes
Information:	The Hon. Bertram Aloysius Forbes was born on 26 May 1882 at Castle Forbes, Newtownforbes, Co. Longford, along with his twin brother Fergus, to George and Frances Forbes, the 7th Earl and Countess of Granard. Bertram joined the Royal Irish Rifles in Jan 1902 as a 2nd Lieutenant, and was promoted: Lieutenant Jan 1906; Captain Mar 1910; Major in Sept 1916. He was placed on secondment to the then Egyptian Army, which at the time was an Anglo-Colonial force controlled by the British government. He fought in WW1 and was mentioned in despatches. After the conflict, he continued serving in Egypt until 1937. He attained the position of Assistant Inspector-General of the Egyptian army. He died in 1960. His twin brother Fergus George Arthur died of wounds in 1914 and his brother Bernard (the 8th Earl of Granard) also served in WW1. During WW2 Bertram served as Inspector of Prisoner of War (POW) Establishments. Bertram died in St Vincent's Nursing Home, 96 Lower Leeson St in August 1960. A Requiem Mass was held for him at St. Mary's Church (Roman Catholic), presided over by the then Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, the Most Rev. Dr McNamee, at was attended by many local clergy along with members of the Forbes family.
Parents Names:	Son of George Arthur Hastings Forbes, 7th Earl of Granard and the Hon. Frances (née Petre)
Notes:	Bertram's entry in The Peerage reads: Lt.-Col. Hon. Bertram Aloysius Forbes was born on 26 May 1882.1 He was the son of George Arthur Hastings Forbes, 7th Earl of Granard and Hon. Frances Mary Petre.1 He died on 5 August 1960 at age 78, unmarried.1 He was educated at The Oratory School, Edgbaston, Warwickshire, England.1 He fought in the First World War, with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, and was mentioned in despatches twice.1 He was awarded the Grand Officer, Order of the Nile.1 He was appointed Officer, Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) in 1919.1 He gained the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 1923 in the Royal Irish Rifles.1 He was Colonel of the Eygptian Army between 1932 and 1937.1 He was appointed Companion, Order of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.) in 1937.1 He fought in the Second World War between 1941 and 1942.1 He was Inspector of POW Establishments.1
Links:	Entry in The Peerage; link to Civil Record of Birth; Irish Independent, notice of death; Leitrim Observer, Funeral of Col. B. Forbes; Sale of 1948 Chrysler Plymouth in 1950.