Rawlins was commissioned into the
Royal Artillery from the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich on 26 May 1916. By the end of the
First World War he had been awarded the
Military Cross and
bar and had been wounded in action. Between the wars he served with British forces in Malta, England, India and in Africa with the
Kings African Rifles. He was a junior staff officer in the
War Office and attended the
Staff College, Camberley from 1931 to 1932, his fellow students including the likes of
Sidney Kirkman,
Cameron Nicholson,
Brian Horrocks,
Manley James,
George Symes,
Nevil Brownjohn and
Frank Simpson. , May 1945. Seated from the left:
Stanisław Maczek (Polish Army),
Guy Simonds,
Harry Crerar,
Charles Foulkes,
Bert Hoffmeister. Standing from the left:
Ralph Keefler,
Bruce Matthews,
Harry Foster,
Robert Moncel (standing in for
Chris Vokes), Stuart Rawlins (British Army). He went to France as GSO 2 RA
I Corps, then after returning to UK he went to
West Africa as a GSO 1 before returning to the UK to command a regiment, but was soon promoted to become Commander, Royal Artillery in the 3rd Infantry Division. In 1943 he became CCRA
XII Corps preparing for the invasion of Europe. In early 1944 he was appointed CCRA of
XXX Corps, an assault corps on employed in the
Normandy landings. He would often lead his artillery from the front, acting as a spotter and ordering fire from the plane, tank or armoured car from which he was commanding. During the
Ardennes offensive he became temporary GOC of
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division but returned to CCRA to help plan the
Operation Veritable offensive into the Reichswald with thirteen divisions and over 1000 guns under overall command. Following this he was appointed Director Royal Artillery, then commander of the British Training Team in
Iraq before retiring in 1951. ==Personal life==