later London, Louis Michel Guillaume Joseph Bols. Louis Bols, who was a dual British and Belgian national, travelled around the world and mastered some foreign languages, before eventually meeting his wife and settling down. He served as an officer in the British Army during World War I, acting as the chief of staff for General Sir Edmund Allenby for the majority of the conflict. Eric Bols was born when his father was attending the Staff College, Camberley, and was educated in several institutions. Military career Early career After attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Devonshire Regiment, his father's regiment, on 30 January 1924. Robert King and Cecil Firbank were among his graduates, both also future major-generals. Bols was promoted to lieutenant on 31 January 1926, and in 1927, Bols was sent with the 1st Battalion, Devonshire 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 of the Royal Navy, 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 to captain from that date, transferring to the King's Regiment (Liverpool), there being no vacancies in the Devonshires. 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. Second World War When the Second World War began in September 1939, Bols was still in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). His temporary rank of major was made substantive from 25 February 1940 (although he did not immediately receive the pay and allowances for the rank). He went on to act as an instructor at the Staff