William Kirby Lye

William Kirby Lye
Nickname(s)	Bill
Born	1918 Ottawa, Ontario
Died	2009 Ottawa, Ontario
Allegiance	Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Forces.
Years of service	1936-1973
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	RMC
Awards	MBE CD, ADC
Other work	educator

Brigadier General William Kirby Lye OBE was a Canadian soldier.

Education

Lye was the officer commanding the 11th Reserve Field Regiment and former mayor of Guelph, Ontario.

Career

He went overseas during the Second World War with 16th Field Company. He was later Second-in-Command of 1st Field Company. In England, he served as Chief Instructor of the Engineer Reinforcement Unit. In 1944, he served as Staff Officer Royal Engineers, Headquarters 2 Canadian Corps. BGen Lye’s post-war appointments include: Deputy Commander, Canadian Forces Base Units, Middle East (United Nations Emergency Force); Commander, Camp Chilliwack and Commandant, Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering; Commander Canadian Base Units (Europe); Commander, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Area; Chief of Staff, Administration, at Headquarters Mobile Command; Senior Assistant Adjutant General and Director General Ordnance Systems and Director General Land Operations in Canadian Forces Headquarters. BGen Lye retired in 1973 after his assignment as Commandant RMC in Kingston.

Honours

He was Mentioned in Despatches and appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his distinguished service in 1944 as Staff Officer Royal Engineers, Headquarters 2 Canadian Corps.

Lake Lye in the Chilcotin Training Area near Williams Lake, British Columbia is named in his honour.

References

• 4237 Dr. Adrian Preston & Peter Dennis (Edited) "Swords and Covenants" Rowman And Littlefield, London. Croom Helm. 1976.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "To Serve Canada: A History of the Royal Military College of Canada" 1997 Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1969.
• H16511 Dr. Richard Arthur Preston "Canada's RMC - A History of Royal Military College" Second Edition 1982
• H1877 R. Guy C. Smith (editor) "As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember". In 2 Volumes. Volume I: 1876-1918. Volume II: 1919-1984. Royal Military College. [Kingston]. The R.M.C. Club of Canada. 1984
• [www.army.dnd.ca/2field_engineers/Chapter_4_Annex_A_CME_Memorials.pdf Customs and Traditions of the CME]