shortly after at his final destination, Tel Aviv. The rest of the division followed. He commanded the division whilst it conducted peace-keeping duties in Palestine during the Palestine Emergency. He returned to England, where he attended the Imperial Defence College the following year, before returning to his division in December 1946, succeeding Major General James Cassels who had been in command in Bols's absence. After almost three years service in the Middle East, Bols retired from the British Army with the honorary rank of major-general (his actual regimental rank was still that of lieutenant colonel) on 8 January 1948. Later life In 1965, it was reported by The Times that the former Russian General and then Soviet Deputy Defence Minister Konstantin Rokossovsky argued in a journal article that Bols had attempted to use the 6th Airborne Division to 'infiltrate' Russian lines. Rokossovsky claimed that the division had manoeuvered behind Soviet troops advancing towards Lübeck, and Russian troops had only avoided opening fire on the airborne troops when they had recognized the British uniforms they wore. Death Bols died at his home at Peppering Eye, near Battle in East Sussex on 14 June 1985 at the age of 81. References Bibliography External links British Army Officers 1939–1945 Generals of World War II |- 1904 births 1985 deaths Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies British Army generals of World War II British military personnel of the Palestine Emergency Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Devonshire Regiment officers Foreign recipients of the Silver Star Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley King's Regiment (Liverpool) officers People educated at Lancing College People from Camberley Recipients of the Silver Star British Army major generals Academics of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Academics of the Staff College, Camberley Military personnel from Surrey