Eric Bols - Early Life and Career

Early Life and Career

Bols was born in Camberley in Surrey in June 1904. His father, Louis Bols, was born in Quebec, and was the son of the Belgian Consul stationed in Quebec and later London. Louis Bols, who was a dual British and Belgian national, travelled around the world and mastered some foreign languages, before eventually met his wife and settling down. He served during the First World War, acting as the Chief of Staff for General Allenby for the majority of the conflict. Eric Bols was born when his father was attending Staff College, and was educated in several institutions, including Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment on 30 January 1924. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 31 January 1926, and in 1927, Bols was sent with his regiment to China, first being stationed in Hong Kong but later moving to Shanghai, his battalion being tasked with helping to keep the peace in the region. However, he did not stay for very long in China, with his early career being marked by a series of rapid transfers from region to region, and by 1928 he was stationed in Malta, where he found himself playing polo with then-Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was also stationed on the island at the same time. From here his career progressed rapidly, appointed an instructor at the Signals School at Catterick Garrison from 27 June 1928 to 29 December 1931 and then becoming an officer of a Company of Cadets at Sandhurst from 6 May 1934 to 21 January 1935 and then to study at the Staff College, Camberley. He was also promoted Captain from that date, transferring to the King's (Liverpool) Regiment, there being no vacancies in the Devonshires.

"I liked him a lot. He was very good with the young chaps and was popularHe had the ability to get on well with people who were a couple of decades younger than himself. He was very proud of the Grenadier Guards and made people look up and not down, but with no personal arrogance."

Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning on Eric Bols as a Cadet at Sandhurst.

Bols returned to regimental duty for a few months from 22 December 1936, having completed the staff course. On 30 August 1937 he was seconded to the staff of the Ceylon Defence Force with the local rank of major.