Miles Dempsey
Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey (born December 15, 1896 in Wallasey , Cheshire , † June 5, 1969 in Yattendon , Berkshire ) was a British general and, among other things, Commander in Chief of the British 2nd Army in World War II .
Life
After Dempsey graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy in 1915, he joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment . He served on the Western Front in France during World War I , where he was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in the face of the enemy.
At the beginning of World War II he commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade as a lieutenant colonel . During the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . In December 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant general and took command of the British XIII. Corps during the Africa campaign . He helped plan the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and directed the attack of his corps. Dempsey later led the corps across the Strait of Messina during the invasion of mainland Italy . His forces advanced more than 300 miles north before uniting with US forces at Salerno .
In January 1944 he was given command of the British 2nd Army, which provided the bulk of the British landing forces in the invasion of Normandy . He then led the army through France, Belgium and the Netherlands and liberated Brussels and Antwerp in September 1944 . In Germany , the 2nd Army conquered Bremen , Hamburg and Kiel under his command .
After the war ended in Europe Dempsey became the commander of the 14th Army in Malaya appointed and a little later as commander of ground forces in Southeast Asia. He held this post until 1946 when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces in the Middle East . At the same time he was promoted to general.
Dempsey retired from the British Army in July 1947 and died in Yattendon , Berkshire, in 1969 at the age of 72 .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dempsey, Miles |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dempsey, Sir Miles Christopher (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British General, Commander in Chief of the British 2nd Army in World War II |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 15, 1896 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Wallasey , Cheshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | 5th June 1969 |
| Place of death | Yattendon , Berkshire |