Alfred Dudley Ward
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Alfred Dudley Ward, GCB, KBE, DSO
(27 January 1905 – 28 December 1991), was a British Army
officer during the Second World War and later Governor of Gibraltar
. He served as an ordinary soldier for three years before being sent for officer training in 1926. Slow peacetime career progression saw Ward achieving the rank of captain in only 1937 but the Second World War allowed him to demonstrate his high ability as both a staff officer and commander in the field. Receiving command of an infantry division at the unusually young age of 39 years and 3 months Ward went on to hold staff and field appointments at the highest levels after the war.
for three years before entering Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. From Sandhurst he was commissioned
into the Dorsetshire Regiment in January 1929. In December 1931 he was posted to India to be aide-de-camp
to the Commander of the Lahore District, achieved promotion to lieutenant in January 1932 and completed his posting in September 1932. He went on to the Staff College, Quetta
in 1935. In 1937, Ward was promoted to captain transferring to the King's Regiment (Liverpool) for an appropriate vacancy. In February 1939 he was seconded to India
for staff service as a GSO3 but was recalled to London in July and by the outbreak of the Second World War he was serving as a GSO2 in the Directorate of Military Intelligence at the War Office
in London. In May 1940 Ward was appointed an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
, returning to the War Office a year later. In late 1941 he was selected for command and was posted to lead 43 Reconnaissance Regiment, initially the reconnaissance unit of 48th Infantry Division and then, from November 1941, of 43rd Infantry Division.
He became Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of XI Corps
in July 1942. In September 1943 he swapped jobs with Roy Urquhart
to take command of 231 Brigade
which had seen recent action in Sicily
. However, within a week of arriving he was ordered to swap jobs once more, this time with Gerard Bucknall
, and took command of 17 Brigade
, part of 5th Infantry Division, which he led in Italy
. The brigade saw action during Eighth Army
's advance from Foggia, notably on the Moro River in late 1943, before 5th Division was switched to Italy's western seabord, on the left flank of British X Corps
which itself formed the left wing of US Fifth Army on the Gustav Line. Ward's brigade conducted an amphibious crossing of the Garigliano river
on 17 January and was involved in heavy fighting until the end of the month. In March the 5th Division was moved to the Anzio bridgehead
and was involved in further heavy fighting in "The Wadis" on its left flank. Ward was awarded the DSO in April 1944.
Given the acting rank of major-general, highly unusual for someone still under the age of forty, Ward took command of the 4th Infantry Division
in April 1944. Recently arrived in Italy from Egypt where it had been refitting since the Tunisian Campaign, the division had to be rapidly prepared and brought to peak fitness for the key role assigned it together with 8th Indian Infantry Division, that of creating bridgeheads across the Rapido river in the fourth Battle of Monte Cassino
the following month. After successfully completing its task, the division was rested until late June when it rejoined the front line on the Trasimene Line
.
In August the division found itself once more on the Adriatic coast taking part in Operation Olive, Eighth Army's attack on the Gothic Line
. In December 1944 4th Division was moved to Greece
, where it was involved in fighting against Communist partisans opposed to the new provisional government. By mid January order was restored and in April Ward handed over command of his division to become Chief of Staff to Ronald Scobie
the British commander in Greece.
For his services in Italy Ward was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in April 1945 and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in July of the same year. He also received the Legion of Merit
(Degree of Commander) from the United States for his service to the Allied cause.
After the war, having demonstrated in the previous five years high competence as both a field commander and staff officer, Ward received appointments in both disciplines at the highest levels. He was promoted to substantive major-general in 1947 and appointed in quick succession as Director of Military Operations at the War Office and commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
, in 1947 and 1948 respectively. He assumed command of I Corps in Germany in the rank of lieutenant-general and was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1953 New Year Honours
. He returned to Britain in 1953 as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, relinquishing the post in October 1956. Ward returned to Germany in January 1957 as Commander-in-Chief of Northern Army Group
and the British Army of the Rhine
, was promoted to full general in February 1957, and held the post until January 1960. He left to become, in May 1960, Commander-in-Chief, British Forces Middle East which was re-designated Near East Command
on vacating the appointment in May 1962. He was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in June 1957 which was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the new year honours list in 1959 and from December 1958 to December 1961, he held the title of Aide-de-Camp General
to Queen Elizabeth II
.
He became Governor and Commander-in-Chief Gibraltar
in June 1962, where he presided over the introduction of the 1964 constitution. The Dudley Ward Tunnel
is named in his honour. He was also made a knight of the charitable Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
in 1962.
Ward retired from the army in 1965. In retirement he served as a Deputy Lieutenant
of Suffolk
from 1968 until 1984.
Following convention for retired senior officers, Ward maintained links with the British Army through the honorary positions of Colonel Commandant
of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
and Colonel of the King's Regiment.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Alfred Dudley Ward, GCB, KBE, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(27 January 1905 – 28 December 1991), was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer during the Second World War and later Governor of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
. He served as an ordinary soldier for three years before being sent for officer training in 1926. Slow peacetime career progression saw Ward achieving the rank of captain in only 1937 but the Second World War allowed him to demonstrate his high ability as both a staff officer and commander in the field. Receiving command of an infantry division at the unusually young age of 39 years and 3 months Ward went on to hold staff and field appointments at the highest levels after the war.
Military career
Educated at Wimborne Grammar School, Ward went on to serve in the army as an other rankOther Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
for three years before entering Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. From Sandhurst he was commissioned
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
into the Dorsetshire Regiment in January 1929. In December 1931 he was posted to India to be aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Commander of the Lahore District, achieved promotion to lieutenant in January 1932 and completed his posting in September 1932. He went on to the Staff College, Quetta
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
in 1935. In 1937, Ward was promoted to captain transferring to the King's Regiment (Liverpool) for an appropriate vacancy. In February 1939 he was seconded to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for staff service as a GSO3 but was recalled to London in July and by the outbreak of the Second World War he was serving as a GSO2 in the Directorate of Military Intelligence at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in London. In May 1940 Ward was appointed an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, returning to the War Office a year later. In late 1941 he was selected for command and was posted to lead 43 Reconnaissance Regiment, initially the reconnaissance unit of 48th Infantry Division and then, from November 1941, of 43rd Infantry Division.
He became Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of XI Corps
XI Corps (United Kingdom)
XI Corps was an army corps of the British Army in World War I that served on the Western Front and in Italy. It was recreated as part of Home Forces defending the United Kingdom during World War II.-Western Front:...
in July 1942. In September 1943 he swapped jobs with Roy Urquhart
Roy Urquhart
Major General Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB, DSO was a British military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden.-Early career:...
to take command of 231 Brigade
British 231st Infantry Brigade
.- History :The 231st Infantry Brigade was a Second World War British Army unit, originally formed from the 1st Malta Brigade.It was composed of regular British Army battalions, was stationed on Malta at the start of the Second World War...
which had seen recent action in Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. However, within a week of arriving he was ordered to swap jobs once more, this time with Gerard Bucknall
Gerard Bucknall
Lieutenant General Gerard Corfield Bucknall, CB, MC was a British Army officer and corps commander during World War II.-Military career:...
, and took command of 17 Brigade
British 17th Infantry Brigade
The 17th Infantry Brigade was a formation of the British Army which provided active service in both the First and Second World Wars. It was mainly composed of Regular Army battalions.- History :...
, part of 5th Infantry Division, which he led in Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. The brigade saw action during Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
's advance from Foggia, notably on the Moro River in late 1943, before 5th Division was switched to Italy's western seabord, on the left flank of British X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
which itself formed the left wing of US Fifth Army on the Gustav Line. Ward's brigade conducted an amphibious crossing of the Garigliano river
Garigliano River
The Garigliano is a river in central Italy.It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano"...
on 17 January and was involved in heavy fighting until the end of the month. In March the 5th Division was moved to the Anzio bridgehead
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
and was involved in further heavy fighting in "The Wadis" on its left flank. Ward was awarded the DSO in April 1944.
Given the acting rank of major-general, highly unusual for someone still under the age of forty, Ward took command of the 4th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
in April 1944. Recently arrived in Italy from Egypt where it had been refitting since the Tunisian Campaign, the division had to be rapidly prepared and brought to peak fitness for the key role assigned it together with 8th Indian Infantry Division, that of creating bridgeheads across the Rapido river in the fourth Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
the following month. After successfully completing its task, the division was rested until late June when it rejoined the front line on the Trasimene Line
Trasimene Line
The Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was also sometimes known as the Albert Line...
.
In August the division found itself once more on the Adriatic coast taking part in Operation Olive, Eighth Army's attack on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
. In December 1944 4th Division was moved to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, where it was involved in fighting against Communist partisans opposed to the new provisional government. By mid January order was restored and in April Ward handed over command of his division to become Chief of Staff to Ronald Scobie
Ronald Scobie
Lieutenant-General Sir Ronald MacKenzie Scobie KBE, CB, MC was a British Army officer who commanded III Corps.-Military career:...
the British commander in Greece.
For his services in Italy Ward was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in April 1945 and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in July of the same year. He also received the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(Degree of Commander) from the United States for his service to the Allied cause.
After the war, having demonstrated in the previous five years high competence as both a field commander and staff officer, Ward received appointments in both disciplines at the highest levels. He was promoted to substantive major-general in 1947 and appointed in quick succession as Director of Military Operations at the War Office and commandant of the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
, in 1947 and 1948 respectively. He assumed command of I Corps in Germany in the rank of lieutenant-general and was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1953 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. He returned to Britain in 1953 as Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff, relinquishing the post in October 1956. Ward returned to Germany in January 1957 as Commander-in-Chief of Northern Army Group
Northern Army Group
The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...
and the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
, was promoted to full general in February 1957, and held the post until January 1960. He left to become, in May 1960, Commander-in-Chief, British Forces Middle East which was re-designated Near East Command
Near East Command
-History:In 1959 Middle East Command was divided into two commands split by the Suez canal.The two parts were British Forces Arabian Peninsular, which was based at Aden, and the rump of Middle East Command which was based in Cyprus and which in 1961 was renamed Near East Command.It was disbanded in...
on vacating the appointment in May 1962. He was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in June 1957 which was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the new year honours list in 1959 and from December 1958 to December 1961, he held the title of Aide-de-Camp General
Aide-de-Camp General
One of the several categories of aides de camp to the Monarch in the United Kingdom is styled Aide de Camp General.These are honorary appointments for senior British Army generals, first made in 1910. There were originally four, but the number was reduced to three in 1988...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
He became Governor and Commander-in-Chief Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
in June 1962, where he presided over the introduction of the 1964 constitution. The Dudley Ward Tunnel
Dudley Ward Tunnel
The Dudley Ward Tunnel is a road tunnel through the south-eastern part of the Rock of Gibraltar. It is named after Sir Alfred Dudley Ward, Governor of Gibraltar from 8 June 1962 to 5 August 1965...
is named in his honour. He was also made a knight of the charitable Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1962.
Ward retired from the army in 1965. In retirement he served as a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
from 1968 until 1984.
Following convention for retired senior officers, Ward maintained links with the British Army through the honorary positions of Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
and Colonel of the King's Regiment.