General Sir Harold Edmund Franklyn, KCB, DSO, MC (28 November 1885 − 31 March 1963) was a British Army officer who fought in both the First and the Second World Wars.

[2] Soon after the outbreak of war in August 1914, Franklyn, graduating early from the Staff College, was made an Assistant Embarkation Staff Officer, later serving briefly as adjutant with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, a newly created Kitchener's Army unit composed of volunteers, which was followed, on 31 October, by a promotion to captain.

[2] During the war, Franklyn was six times mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross.

The division was stationed in and around Catterick in North Yorkshire under the control of Northern Command, but was severely understrength having recently returned from Palestine.

[17] When the Second World War broke out in September 1939, the division was not fully formed and arrived piecemeal in France over the next few weeks and months as independent formations where it became part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF).

[18] Although the 15th Brigade saw contact with the enemy on the Saar front in January and February, the division, as a whole, saw little action, and time was spent digging defensive positions in expectation of a repeat of the trench warfare of the First World War.

[19] The Germans had broken through the French armies on the BEF's right flank, and were sweeping their way west and northwards, aiming for the Channel coast.

However, French support did not materialise on time and Franklyn was forced on the defensive and ordered to hold the high ground on Vimy Ridge.

[19] As the battle wore on, more units came under Franklyn's command, including the 10th and the 11th Brigade as well as elements of the 1st Division and heavy artillery from I Corps.

[3] Brooke then gave orders for Franklyn and his division, now reduced to roughly 600 men in each of his two brigades, to withdraw from their positions and retreat to the Dunkirk perimeter, which they did on the night of 29 May and were subsequently evacuated to England over the next few days.

[25] Franklyn was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1943,[26] and remained in his post as C-in-C Northern Ireland until 23 July 1943 when he was promoted to the rank of full general[27] and became Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces.