Major General Ted Eberhardie
Officer who fought the Japanese, then took on communists alongside his former enemies
MAJOR GENERAL TED EBERHARDIE, who has died aged 90, was an unconventional officer whose experience encompassed a dozen campaigns against almost as many different kinds of enemy and in widely varying conditions including deserts, jungles, mountains and urban areas.
In 1945, Eberhardie was posted to Java with 5th Independent Parachute Brigade (5 IPB) to take the Japanese surrender. A group of Indonesian nationalists proclaimed independence from Dutch rule, but the declaration was not recognised by the Netherlands, which attempted to restore its pre-war control of the islands.
The withdrawal of the Japanese troops to their barracks had created a power vacuum, leading to a widespread breakdown of law and order. Of particular concern to the Allies were the thousands of prisoners of war and civilian internees who were at risk from attacks mounted by nationalist mobs supported by Indonesian Chinese Communists.
The decision was taken to re-arm the Japanese. Eberhardie spoke fluent Malay and some Japanese and was attached to the Japanese army as a liaison officer. His CO was Major Kido, the commander of the Kido Butai (Kido Battalion).
Eberhardie was in his element. He was a Judoka (all-in wrestler), a Japanese sword fighter (Kendo) and the British Far-East Tri-Service fencing champion and was, therefore, able to develop a close relationship with the Japanese. He found that they were not good at patrolling so, with help from 12th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (12 Para), he mounted long-range penetration raids on communist HQs, military bases, lines of communication and admin areas. Eberhardie said afterwards that, at unit level, the liaison grew into a deep fighting comradeship and he was invited to become an honorary member of Kido’s battalion.
Charles Edward Eberhardie, the son of Lt Col RC Eberhardie, an officer in the Mahratta Light Infantry, was born in Belgaum, India, on December 22 1924. Ted was educated at Bedford School, where he was head boy and represented the school at gymnastics, boxing and rugby.
In 1941 he enlisted in the Bedford section of the Local Defence Volunteers and joined the Royal Norfolk Regiment two years later. He was commissioned into The Queen’s Regiment but, in 1944, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 Para). He was part of the airborne force that was assembled for Operation Market Garden, but his air lift was cancelled.
In 1946, he moved to Palestine with 12 Para, but after 5 IPB were disbanded he transferred to 8 Para. In a fierce battle with Arab insurgents, his unit suffered several killed and wounded. He was awarded a Mention in Despatches for carrying a wounded man to safety under heavy fire.
He returned to the Royal Norfolks in 1952 and accompanied them to Korea. On the night of August 2, he was serving with 1st Battalion, part of the 1st Commonwealth Division, in an operation to draw the enemy on to a dominating hill and capture a prisoner. He pushed one of his platoons out to the hill and kept the rest of his company in reserve.
The Chinese retaliated by sending a complete company to the hill. When the isolated platoon was attacked in strength, he called down artillery fire on the enemy.
In order to achieve maximum surprise, he took the risk of advancing closely behind the rolling barrage and his force sustained some casualties, before he got to within 25 yards of the crest. After a fierce battle with small arms and grenades, he reached the summit, where he organised his defences and beat off a determined counter-attack.
The enemy suffered considerable losses and Eberhardie withdrew, taking six prisoners. It often proved impossible to keep Chinese PoWs alive, however slight their wounds, and all six died before they could be questioned. He was awarded an Immediate MC. The citation paid tribute to his inspiring bravery and outstanding leadership.
A spell in Hong Kong was followed by a number of regimental and staff appointments and, in 1965, he assumed command of 2 Para in Borneo during the “Confrontation” with Indonesia.
In defiance of orders, his battalion operated in four-man patrols. This, he claimed, gave the battalion more coverage than the other British units in theatre – with equivalent results. He had scant regard for bureaucracy and military dogma. His mantra was: “Fight the battle you are in – not the last one; shoot the enemy nearest to you; and don’t intellectualise a slit trench – just dig it!”
After a posting to the Ministry of Defence, in 1968 Eberhardie took command of 16 Parachute Brigade. His last two appointments were at HQ UK Land Forces and Shape. He retired from the Army in 1976.
He then went to Casteau, Belgium, where he converted a petrol station into an antique shop. This venture was followed by a move to Ennevelin, northern France, where he converted a farm into another antiques business. He finally retired in 2000 and lived a pleasant life in Tourouzelle in the Aude region of southern France.
Throughout his life he was a keen sportsman. He was appointed MBE in 1959.
Ted Eberhardie was thrice married. He had a son and two daughters with his first wife, Ann Gems. The marriage was dissolved as was his second to Janine HeathHall, by whom he had a daughter. He married, in 1982, his third wife, Christine Sampson, who survives him with all his children.