Miles Dempsey
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, GBE
, KCB
, DSO
, MC
(15 December 1896 - 5 June 1969) was commander of the British Second Army
during the D-Day landings in the Second World War. He was a career soldier who made his reputation in active service.
-Irish
Ó Díomasaigh
family of Clann Máel Ugra (Clanmailer, aka Cenél Maoilughra), a sept
of the Laigin
people, and founders of the Kingdom of Uí Failghe
. The senior line of the family were Viscount Clanmalier
. His father, A.F. Dempsey of Hoylake
, Cheshire
, was the Clan Chief of the Ó Díomasaigh sept
. Dempsey was educated at Shrewsbury School
where he captained the first eleven in 1914 and then attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
. He served on the Western Front
in France
during the First World War, where he was awarded the Military Cross
for bravery. In 1919, Dempsey played 2 first-class
cricket
matches for Sussex
against Oxford University
and Northamptonshire
. Between 1926 and 1932, he also played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Berkshire
.
in France. In common with other Allied units, his brigade was forced back to Dunkirk
, where it provided part of the rear-guard for the evacuation. For his part in the evacuation, Dempsey was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
.
In December 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant-general and commanded XIII Corps
in the Eighth Army
during the North African Campaign
. He subsequently helped to plan the invasion of Sicily
and led the assault on Sicily
in 1943. Dempsey later led the invasion of Italy
across the Strait of Messina
, in which his troops advanced more than 300 miles (482.8 km) to the north before linking up with U.S. troops at Salerno
.
In North Africa, Sicily and Italy, Dempsey had gained a reputation for his expertise in combined operations
. This prompted Bernard Montgomery
, his commanding officer in North Africa and Sicily, to select him to command the Second Army in January 1944. The Second Army was the main British force (although it also included Canadian forces) involved in the D-Day landings
, making successful assaults at Gold
, Juno
and Sword
beaches.
The successful assaults were followed by an attritional battle during which the Anglo-Canadian forces were frustrated by determined German defence. This in its turn, however, forced the committal and wearing down of vital German units away from the eventual U.S. breakout. Second Army made a rapid advance across northern France into Belgium
, liberating Brussels
and Antwerp in September 1944. On the 15th of October 1944, during a visit to the 2nd army by King George VI, Miles Dempsey was Knighted on the battlefield by the King.
The Rhine was crossed on March 23, 1945, and Dempsey was the first British Army commander to do so. On 7 April 1945, The Illustrated London News carried a full front page of a specially commissioned portrait painting of Dempsey by artist Arthur Pan
.
In May, Dempsey's men captured Bremen, Hamburg
and Kiel
. At 11.00AM on the 3rd of May, a delegation of senior German officers led by General Admiral von Friedeberg arrived at Dempsey's Tac HQ and after questioning it appeared that Friedeberg was a representative of General Keitel and Donitz who wished to surrender. In typical fashion Dempsey sent them on their way to report to Montgomery which led to the formal surrender the next day at Luneberg Heath.
Miles Dempsey was considered to be a highly competent officer. He asserted a very effective control over Second Army without taking the limelight. This was despite the stalemate in Normandy and the failure to advance beyond Antwerp and thus ensure that German forces remained isolated.
After the end of the war in Europe, Miles Dempsey was appointed to the command of the Fourteenth Army and GOC in C Malaya Command
and then Land Force Commander, South East Asia. The Japanese surrendered shortly afterwards. Within his command were 123,000 British and Dutch prisoners and nearly 750,000 captured Japanese.
Dempsey retired from the British Army in July 1947. In 1950, he was given a 'shadow' appointment as Commander In Chief, British Home forces. He was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Military police, the Special Air Service (1951–1960) and the Royal Berkshire Regiment.
In 1948, Dempsey married Viola O'Reilly, the youngest daughter of Captain Percy O'Reilly
of Colamber, County Westmeath
, Ireland. The Ó Raghallaigh
sept come from an area of Ireland located just to the north of the O'Dempsey lands. They lived at "The Old Vicarage", Greenham Newbury, Berkshire
and later rented "Coombe House", Yattendon, Berkshire. When the former house was requisitioned as part of the US Airforce base, President Eisenhower personally arranged compensation to be paid to his friend and wartime colleague.
He was Chairman of the Race Course Betting Board, H&G Simonds, Greene King and Sons (the 1st non-family chairman) and Deputy Chairman of Courage.
Miles Dempsey died in Yattendon
, Berkshire
in 1969 at the age of 72, exactly twenty five years to the day after the initial landings in Normandy on D Day.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCB
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...
, 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...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(15 December 1896 - 5 June 1969) was commander of the British Second Army
British Second Army
The British Second Army was active during both the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front and in Italy...
during the D-Day landings in the Second World War. He was a career soldier who made his reputation in active service.
Early life
Dempsey was a descendant of the GaelicGaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
-Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Ó Díomasaigh
Dempsey
-Background:Dempsey is an anglicised form of of Ó Diomasaigh, « descendant of Díomasaigh »; the latter stems from the Irish adjective díomasach « proud ». The family originated in the Kingdom of Uí Failghe.According to John Grenham:...
family of Clann Máel Ugra (Clanmailer, aka Cenél Maoilughra), a sept
Sept
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
of the Laigin
Laigin
The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin , were a population group of early Ireland who gave their name to the province of Leinster...
people, and founders of the Kingdom of Uí Failghe
Kingdom of Uí Failghe
Uí Failghe was a Gaelic-Irish kingdom, which is preserved in the name of County Offaly, Ireland.-Background:Uí Failghe may have existed as a kingdom since the early historic era, and successfully fought off encroachments by the Uí Néill, the Eóganachta, and the Normans.From the mid eleventh century...
. The senior line of the family were Viscount Clanmalier
Viscount Clanmalier
The titles of Viscount Clanmalier and Baron Phillipstown were created in the Peerage of Ireland on 22 December 1631 for Terence O'Dempsey. On the death of the third viscount in 1691, both titles became extinct.-Viscounts Clanmalier :...
. His father, A.F. Dempsey of Hoylake
Hoylake
Hoylake is a seaside town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, on Merseyside, England. It is located at the north western corner of the Wirral Peninsula, near to the town of West Kirby and where the River Dee estuary meets the Irish Sea...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, was the Clan Chief of the Ó Díomasaigh sept
Sept
A sept is an English word for a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. The word might have its origin from Latin saeptum "enclosure, fold", or it can be an alteration of sect.The term is found in both Ireland and Scotland...
. Dempsey was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
where he captained the first eleven in 1914 and then attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
First World War and inter-war years
After graduating from Sandhurst Military Academy in 1915, Dempsey joined the Royal Berkshire RegimentRoyal Berkshire Regiment
The Royal Berkshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 49th Regiment of Foot and the 66th Regiment of Foot.The regiment was originally formed as The Princess Charlotte of Wales's , taking the...
. He served on 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...
in 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...
during the First World War, where he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for bravery. In 1919, Dempsey played 2 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches for Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. Between 1926 and 1932, he also played Minor Counties Championship cricket for Berkshire
Berkshire County Cricket Club
Berkshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Berkshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and MCCA Knockout Trophy....
.
Second World War
By the start of the Second World War, Dempsey had reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel and commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade of the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France. In common with other Allied units, his brigade was forced back to Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
, where it provided part of the rear-guard for the evacuation. For his part in the evacuation, Dempsey was awarded the Distinguished 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...
.
In December 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant-general and commanded XIII Corps
XIII Corps (United Kingdom)
XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
in the 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....
during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. He subsequently helped to plan the invasion of 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...
and led the assault on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1943. Dempsey later led the invasion of 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...
across the Strait of Messina
Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina is the narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Ionian Sea, within the central Mediterranean...
, in which his troops advanced more than 300 miles (482.8 km) to the north before linking up with U.S. troops at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
.
Combined operations
In military use, combined operations , also known as joint operations, or interoperability capability, are either operations conducted by forces of two or more allied nations acting together for the accomplishment of a common strategy, a strategic and operational and sometimes tactical cooperation...
. This prompted Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
, his commanding officer in North Africa and Sicily, to select him to command the Second Army in January 1944. The Second Army was the main British force (although it also included Canadian forces) involved in the D-Day landings
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, making successful assaults at Gold
Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
, Juno
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
and Sword
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
beaches.
The successful assaults were followed by an attritional battle during which the Anglo-Canadian forces were frustrated by determined German defence. This in its turn, however, forced the committal and wearing down of vital German units away from the eventual U.S. breakout. Second Army made a rapid advance across northern France into Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, liberating Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Antwerp in September 1944. On the 15th of October 1944, during a visit to the 2nd army by King George VI, Miles Dempsey was Knighted on the battlefield by the King.
Arthur Pan
Professor Arthur Pan was a Hungarian artist and portrait painter, whose subjects included Winston Churchill.-Life and work:...
.
In May, Dempsey's men captured Bremen, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. At 11.00AM on the 3rd of May, a delegation of senior German officers led by General Admiral von Friedeberg arrived at Dempsey's Tac HQ and after questioning it appeared that Friedeberg was a representative of General Keitel and Donitz who wished to surrender. In typical fashion Dempsey sent them on their way to report to Montgomery which led to the formal surrender the next day at Luneberg Heath.
Miles Dempsey was considered to be a highly competent officer. He asserted a very effective control over Second Army without taking the limelight. This was despite the stalemate in Normandy and the failure to advance beyond Antwerp and thus ensure that German forces remained isolated.
After the end of the war in Europe, Miles Dempsey was appointed to the command of the Fourteenth Army and GOC in C Malaya Command
Malaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
and then Land Force Commander, South East Asia. The Japanese surrendered shortly afterwards. Within his command were 123,000 British and Dutch prisoners and nearly 750,000 captured Japanese.
Post-war
In 1946 he was appointed British Commander in Chief of Middle East Land Forces. He was made a General in 1946.Dempsey retired from the British Army in July 1947. In 1950, he was given a 'shadow' appointment as Commander In Chief, British Home forces. He was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Military police, the Special Air Service (1951–1960) and the Royal Berkshire Regiment.
In 1948, Dempsey married Viola O'Reilly, the youngest daughter of Captain Percy O'Reilly
Percy O'Reilly
Percy Philip O'Reilly was an Irish polo player who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Together with John Paul McCann, John Hardress Lloyd and Auston Rotheram, he was a member of the Ireland team that won a silver medal The Ireland team was part of the Great Britain Olympic team.His daughter...
of Colamber, County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
, Ireland. The Ó Raghallaigh
Ó Raghallaigh
Ó Raghallaigh is a surname of Gaelic-Irish origin.-Overview:It is usually anglicised as Reilly, Riley and O'Reilly. The original form of the name, Ó Raghallaigh, denotes "grandson of Raghallach", the name Raghallach thought to be derived from the compounds ragh and ceallach .The Ó Raghallaigh...
sept come from an area of Ireland located just to the north of the O'Dempsey lands. They lived at "The Old Vicarage", Greenham Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
and later rented "Coombe House", Yattendon, Berkshire. When the former house was requisitioned as part of the US Airforce base, President Eisenhower personally arranged compensation to be paid to his friend and wartime colleague.
He was Chairman of the Race Course Betting Board, H&G Simonds, Greene King and Sons (the 1st non-family chairman) and Deputy Chairman of Courage.
Miles Dempsey died in Yattendon
Yattendon
Yattendon is a village and civil parish northeast of Newbury, Berkshire. The M4 motorway passes about south of the village.-Geography:Yattendon stretches from Everington in the west to the hamlet of Burnt Hill in the east and the woodland just east of Yattendon Court, including Mumgrove Copse,...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
in 1969 at the age of 72, exactly twenty five years to the day after the initial landings in Normandy on D Day.
Tributes
- In September 1944, Miles Dempsey was made an honorary citizen of the city of CaenCaenCaen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
in NormandyNormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, FranceFranceThe 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...
. - Around 1990, a street in Caen (avenue Général Dempsey) was named after him, in a district close to the Mémorial pour la Paix museum, where many of the streets commemorate personalities linked with the Second World War. The street links the avenue Maréchal Montgomery to the avenue Amiral Mountbatten.
- In the Dutch town of Langenboom a street was named after him (Dempseystraat).