George Windle Read
Encyclopedia
George Windle Read was a Major General
in the United States Army
who was prominent as a corps
and division
commander in World War I
. Read also oversaw the departure of US forces from Europe
at the end of World War I as commander of the American Embarkation Center at Le Havre, France.
. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
in 1883 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry
.
. A few months later he transferred to the 5th Cavalry Regiment, with which he served until 1889.
From 1889 to 1893 Read was Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of Iowa
, after which he returned to the 5th Cavalry Regiment in Texas
.
In 1898 Read authored "The automatic instructor: a practical system for home study".
Read was assigned to an Ordnance unit, with which he served in Cuba
until 1899. Receiving promotion to Captain, he served in New Mexico
from 1901 to 1902, after which he was assigned to the Philippines
.
and Hawaii
. From 1905 to 1909 he served on the Army’s General Staff. Promoted to Major
, he served in Cuba, Puerto Rico
and the Philippines before attending the Army War College, from which he graduated in 1914.
after his war college graduation, Read served in Texas and Arizona
during the US-Mexico
border conflict, including the Pancho Villa Expedition
. From 1915 to 1917 Read again served in Washington, DC as a member of the Army General Staff.
) was appointed to head recruiting as the Army began to mobilize for World War I. In August he was selected to command the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton
, New York
. In December Read was promoted to temporary Major General and assigned to command the 15th Cavalry Division
in El Paso, Texas
.
The 15th Cavalry Division was disbanded in favor of fielding all Infantry divisions, and in April, 1918 Read took command of the 30th Infantry Division, which he led to France
. In June he was selected to command the II Corps, consisting of five divisions assigned to the British sector of the Western Front
. After three of his divisions were transferred to take part in the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, Read continued to command the other two as a corps under the British Army
in the Ypres area, participating in the September offensive that breached the Hindenberg Line.
Read continued to command the II Corps after the Armistice
. After the organization was demobilized in February, 1919 Read was assigned to command of the American Embarkation Center at Le Havre, France, where he was responsible for arranging the transportation of men and materiel back to the United States
. He was also the final commander of the 42nd Infantry Division as it completed post-war occupation duty in Germany and prepared to depart Europe.
with the permanent rank of Brigadier General
. In March, 1921 he received permanent promotion to Major General.
In October, 1922 Read was appointed commander of the Philippine Department
, where he remained until his 1925 retirement.
and the British Order of the Bath
.
. He died at Walter Reed Army Hospital on November 6, 1934 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
, Section South, Site 1819.
, who served as the first Army Chief of Staff. George Windle Read’s children included George Windle Read, Jr.
, a career soldier who served in both world wars and attained the rank of Lieutenant General
as commander of the US Army Armor Center and the Second United States Army.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who was prominent as a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
and division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
commander in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Read also oversaw the departure of US forces from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
at the end of World War I as commander of the American Embarkation Center at Le Havre, France.
Early life
Read was born in Indianola, IowaIndianola, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,998 people, 4,748 households, and 3,261 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,414.7 people per square mile . There were 4,981 housing units at an average density of 542.1 per square mile...
. He graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in 1883 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
.
Early military career
Read’s initial assignments were in the American West, and his first posting was with the 16th Infantry Regiment16th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army.-Formation:The 34th Infantry Regiment and 11th Infantry Regiment consolidated into the 16th Infantry Regiment on 3 March 1869. The 11th Infantry's history prior to the consolidation is normally included with the 16th's.-U.S...
. A few months later he transferred to the 5th Cavalry Regiment, with which he served until 1889.
From 1889 to 1893 Read was Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, after which he returned to the 5th Cavalry Regiment in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
In 1898 Read authored "The automatic instructor: a practical system for home study".
Spanish-American War
At the start of the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
Read was assigned to an Ordnance unit, with which he served in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
until 1899. Receiving promotion to Captain, he served in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
from 1901 to 1902, after which he was assigned to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Post Spanish-American War
After leaving Cuba, Read served in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. From 1905 to 1909 he served on the Army’s General Staff. Promoted to Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
, he served in Cuba, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the Philippines before attending the Army War College, from which he graduated in 1914.
Mexican border conflict
Advanced to Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
after his war college graduation, Read served in Texas and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during the US-Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border conflict, including the Pancho Villa Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
. From 1915 to 1917 Read again served in Washington, DC as a member of the Army General Staff.
World War I
In April, 1917, Read (now a ColonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
) was appointed to head recruiting as the Army began to mobilize for World War I. In August he was selected to command the 152nd Depot Brigade at Camp Upton
Camp Upton
Camp Upton was an installation of the United States Army located in Yaphank on Long Island in Suffolk County, New York. It was located near Camp Mills.-History:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In December Read was promoted to temporary Major General and assigned to command the 15th Cavalry Division
15th Cavalry Division (United States)
The 15th Cavalry Division was created with the 1st & 2nd Cavalry Brigades in February 1917 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It numbered in succession of the 1st–14th Divisions, which were not all active at its creation. Originally trained for deployment to Europe, its units were later converted into...
in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
.
The 15th Cavalry Division was disbanded in favor of fielding all Infantry divisions, and in April, 1918 Read took command of the 30th Infantry Division, which he led to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In June he was selected to command the II Corps, consisting of five divisions assigned to the British sector of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. After three of his divisions were transferred to take part in the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, Read continued to command the other two as a corps under the 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...
in the Ypres area, participating in the September offensive that breached the Hindenberg Line.
Read continued to command the II Corps after the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
. After the organization was demobilized in February, 1919 Read was assigned to command of the American Embarkation Center at Le Havre, France, where he was responsible for arranging the transportation of men and materiel back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was also the final commander of the 42nd Infantry Division as it completed post-war occupation duty in Germany and prepared to depart Europe.
Post World War I
In May, 1919 Read was assigned to command the US V Corps at Camp Jackson, South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
with the permanent rank of Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
. In March, 1921 he received permanent promotion to Major General.
In October, 1922 Read was appointed commander of the Philippine Department
Philippine Department
The Philippine Department was a regular US Army unit, defeated in the Philippines, during World War II. The mission of the Philippine Department was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the Philippine Army...
, where he remained until his 1925 retirement.
Awards and decorations
General Read’s awards and decorations included the Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
and the British Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
.
Retirement and death
In retirement Read resided in Upper Providence Township, PennsylvaniaUpper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Upper Providence Township is a census-designated place and township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, located around and north of the borough of Media, between Ridley Creek and Crum Creek. The population was 10,509 at the 2000 census. Ridley Creek State Park is inside the...
. He died at Walter Reed Army Hospital on November 6, 1934 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Section South, Site 1819.
Personal
In 1886 Read married in El Paso Burton Young (1868–1944), the daughter of General S.B.M YoungSamuel Baldwin Marks Young
Samuel Baldwin Marks Young was a United States Army general. He also served as the first president of Army War College between 1902 and 1903. He then served from 1903 until 1904 as the first Chief of Staff of the United States Army.-Biography:Young was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to John...
, who served as the first Army Chief of Staff. George Windle Read’s children included George Windle Read, Jr.
George Windle Read, Jr.
George Windle Read, Jr. was a Lieutenant General in the United States Army. He was prominent as a top-tier polo player, a successful commander of World War II armor units, and the U.S...
, a career soldier who served in both world wars and attained the rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
as commander of the US Army Armor Center and the Second United States Army.