Cedric Buttenshaw, inevitably known as “Buttens”, was a highly professional artillery officer who served with distinction in some notable actions in the Second World War. Well-read, with a relentlessly inquiring mind, he got on easily with those of similar disposition, but was intolerant of the rough and noisy — except, perhaps, on the hunting field.

He had been a whipper-in with the Bangalore Hounds, 1934-37, and the first action for which he was decorated was intended to have something of the dash of the hunting field about it. As Staff Officer to Colonel (later Field Marshal Sir) Richard Hull, he took part in the first ground phase of the Allied invasion of French North Africa — Operation Torch — in November 1942.

Hull commanded Bladeforce, comprising the Crusader III tanks of his own regiment, the 17th/21st Lancers, a squadron of armoured cars, an artillery battery, a motor company of 10th Battalion the Rifle Brigade and an engineer squadron. It was intended to be the 1st Army’s advance guard in the dash for Tunis, for which both speed and surprise were essential — but it was the Germans who produced both first by way of rapid deployment of experienced light forces.

The 1st Army’s time-consuming pause to concentrate gave the enemy opportunity to field a scratch force to oppose the Allied advance. It was not until November 25, almost two weeks after landing, that Bladeforce began the race for Tunis with an infantry brigade on each flank.

With more than a hundred tanks after reinforcement by a battalion of American light Stuarts, Hull thrust forward to the Chouigui pass for one of his US tank companies to take the airfield at Djedeida. But then Bladeforce was diverted to cover the right flank of the advance.

Buttenshaw was at Hull’s elbow throughout and the subsequent counter-thrust by elements of the 10th Panzer Division. He was appointed MBE for his service with Bladeforce. He had learnt the lesson of never giving this particular enemy an opportunity to reinforce or re-deploy.

After service on the staff of Headquarters 5th Corps in the final phase of the Tunisian campaign, he was, as second-in-command of 12th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery with the 6th Armoured Division, busy preparing for deployment in Italy.

He took part in operations in support of 26th Armoured Brigade in the final battle for Monte Cassino, in May 1944, and was then selected to command 142nd Field Regiment (Royal Devon Yeomanry) RA.

He commanded 142nd Field Regiment in support of 2nd Commando Brigade in the operation to clear and capture the coastal flank of Lake Comacchio before the final advance to the Po. In addition to the 24 field guns of his own regiment, he had those of two other field regiments under his control, together with one battery of medium and another of heavy guns — in sum an artillery brigadier’s command.

The operation was part of a deception plan to convince the German commander, General von Vietinghoff, that the final attack to end the Italian campaign would be a landing north of the mouth of the Po, accompanied by a coastal thrust. The spit of land separating the huge expanse of Lake Comacchio from the sea would be essential for the latter and, by making von Vietinghoff look that way, it was intended to distract him from the Argenta Gap, west of the lake, through which the actual attack would come. Control of the eastern side of the lake was also the key to an amphibious flanking manoeuvre across it to support the advance along the Argenta corridor.

The battle for the Comacchio spit was conducted by 2nd Commando Brigade and 24th Guards Brigade. It was preceded by aggressive patrolling to fix the German positions exactly, then an intense battle of attrition using tanks and flame-throwers against enemy strong points. Two VCs were won, one by the Danish Captain Anders Lassen with No 9 Commando. The 11 artillery batteries under Buttenshaw’s control were in constant demand to provide fire support. The fighting ended with the Comacchio strip secured and the way opened for the amphibious assault across the lake. Buttenshaw was awarded the DSO for his part in the action.

Cedric George Buttenshaw was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His father, Brigadier A. S. Buttenshaw, served with the Canadian Army during the First World War and later transferred to British service. He was educated at Sherborne and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from where he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1932.

His early service was in India, but he won his place in the Royal Horse Artillery in 1937 and served with 1st RHA in Aldershot until the outbreak of war. He went to France as Staff Captain RA of Headquarters 2nd Corps and evacuated from Dunkirk after the German offensive through the Low Countries and northern France in May 1940. He commanded a battery of 45 Divisional Anti-tank Regiment during the ensuing invasion scare and, after a wartime course at the staff college, went to Headquarters 47 Infantry Division and then that of 5th Corps, from where he was seconded to Bladeforce.

After the war, he alternated between artillery and General Staff appointments until becoming, as a lieutenant-colonel, an Assistant Secretary (Military) in the Cabinet Office. He commanded 72 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Hong Kong, 1953-54, then, after an administrative planning post in the MoD as a colonel, became the Deputy Fortress Commander Gibraltar as a brigadier. As the Governor was the fortress commander, he was the de facto commander of the garrison, and during a month-long gap between incumbents he acted as Governor.

His penultimate military appointment was Provost Marshal, the last “outsider” to be Director of the Corps of Royal Military Police. He was advanced to CBE on leaving the Army in 1967 after two years as Commander Salisbury Plain sub-district, to take over as the Army’s Schools Liaison Officer in the South West District. He hunted with the Avon Vale and was its honorary secretary, 1983-84.

In 1939 he married Barbara Wooldridge, who predeceased him. He is survived by three daughters.

Brigadier C. G. Buttenshaw, CBE, DSO, artillery officer and Provost Marshal, 1962-65, was born on June 17, 1912. He died on March 22, 2003, aged 90.