Michael West (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Michael Montgomerie Alston-Roberts-West (also known as Sir Michael M.A.R. West) GCB DSO
and two bar
s (1905–1978) was a British Army
General who achieved high office in the 1960s. He served in World War II
and the Korean War
. West was a witty and unconventional soldier, with a taste for partying and jazz.
Harry Charles John Alston-Roberts-West, RN
, and Olive Molyneux-Montgomerie. On 24 August 1935, he married Christine Sybil Oppenheim, from Newbury
. The couple had one daughter, Carinthia (who was courted by Mick jagger
).
in 1925. He went to India
in 1935.
He served in World War II
initially as a Brigade Major for 163rd Brigade. He was then appointed Commanding Officer
of 2nd Bn South Lancashire Regiment and was deployed to Madagascar
in 1942. He became Deputy Commander of 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade
in 1943 and Commander of 5th Infantry Brigade in Burma in 1944.
After the War he joined the School of Infantry
in 1946 moving on to be Deputy Director of Manpower Planning at the War Office
in 1949. He was appointed General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief British Troops in Austria
in 1950. West was Commander of the Commonwealth Division
in Korea
from 1952 to 1953 and has been described as "the architect of British strategy in the Korean War". He was Director of the Territorial Army from 1955 and then Commander, 1st British Corps, part of the British Army of the Rhine
from 1958. He became General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief for Northern Command
in 1960 and Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington DC and UK Representative on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Standing Group in 1962.
West was often routinely provocative and, as a relatively junior officer, he regularly challenged Eisenhower
's planning and was "invariably" found to be right. Despite his successes and influence, Michael West was thought to be too unpredictable for the highest levels of command and he retired in September 1965.
West was a friend or acquaintance of musicians Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan
. He was a keen dancer and artist
and used to drive a London
taxi
.
There is a memorial to him in the Church at Whitchurch
in Warwickshire
.
Distinguished Service Order
24 May 1945, 28 June 1945, 8 December 1953
Mentioned in Despatches 8 December 1953
Commander, Legion of Merit
(United States) 10 August 1954
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 Michael Montgomerie Alston-Roberts-West (also known as Sir Michael M.A.R. West) GCB 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...
and two bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
s (1905–1978) 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...
General who achieved high office in the 1960s. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. West was a witty and unconventional soldier, with a taste for partying and jazz.
Early life
West was the son of CaptainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Harry Charles John Alston-Roberts-West, RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and Olive Molyneux-Montgomerie. On 24 August 1935, he married Christine Sybil Oppenheim, from Newbury
Newbury
-In the United Kingdom:* Newbury, Berkshire**Newbury **Newbury Racecourse**Newbury F.C.**A.F.C. Newbury**Newbury R.F.C.**Newbury Building Society**Newbury Weekly News**Newbury College**Newbury railway station...
. The couple had one daughter, Carinthia (who was courted by Mick jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
).
Military career
Michael West was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light InfantryOxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
in 1925. He went 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...
in 1935.
He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
initially as a Brigade Major for 163rd Brigade. He was then appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 2nd Bn South Lancashire Regiment and was deployed to Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
in 1942. He became Deputy Commander of 72nd Indian Infantry Brigade
72nd Indian Infantry Brigade
The 72 Independent Infantry Brigade was formed in the United Kingdom in January 1941. On 1 June 1943 it was re-designated British 72nd Infantry Brigade...
in 1943 and Commander of 5th Infantry Brigade in Burma in 1944.
After the War he joined the School of Infantry
School of Infantry
A School of Infantry provides training in weapons and infantry tactics to infantrymen of a nation's military forces.Schools of infantry include: Australia*Australian Army - School of Infantry, Lone Pine Barracks at Singleton, NSW. France...
in 1946 moving on to be Deputy Director of Manpower Planning 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 1949. He was appointed General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief British Troops in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1950. West was Commander of the Commonwealth Division
1st Commonwealth Division
The 1st Commonwealth Division was the name given, after July 1951, to Commonwealth land forces in the Korean War. The division was a multinational unit that was part of British Commonwealth Forces Korea, and whilst British and Canadian Army units formed the bulk of the division, Australian...
in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
from 1952 to 1953 and has been described as "the architect of British strategy in the Korean War". He was Director of the Territorial Army from 1955 and then Commander, 1st British Corps, part of 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:...
from 1958. He became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
-in-Chief for Northern Command
Northern Command (United Kingdom)
-Nineteenth century:The District Commands of the British Army in Great Britain and Ireland first appear in print in 1840, at which time Northern Command was held by Maj-Gen Charles James Napier, appointed in 1838. During his time the troops stationed within Northern Command were frequently deployed...
in 1960 and Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington DC and UK Representative on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Standing Group in 1962.
West was often routinely provocative and, as a relatively junior officer, he regularly challenged Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
's planning and was "invariably" found to be right. Despite his successes and influence, Michael West was thought to be too unpredictable for the highest levels of command and he retired in September 1965.
West was a friend or acquaintance of musicians Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. He was a keen dancer and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and used to drive a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
.
There is a memorial to him in the Church at Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Warwickshire
Whitchurch is a small hamlet south of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. it used to be a detached part of Worcestershire until 1931.It consists of 5 properties. There are 19 people living in Whitchurch....
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
Honours and awards
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 13 June 1964 (KCB 1 January 1959, CB 7June 1951Distinguished Service Order
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...
24 May 1945, 28 June 1945, 8 December 1953
Mentioned in Despatches 8 December 1953
Commander, 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...
(United States) 10 August 1954