William Duthie Morgan
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William Duthie Morgan GCB
DSO
MC
(1891–1977) was a British Army
General during World War II.
in 1913. He served in World War I winning the DSO at the Battle of Le Cateau in 1914 and later the MC and was mentioned in despatches four times. After the war his postings included active service in Waziristan
and a period as a staff officer (GSO3) in the War Office in London. In 1929 he was appointed military attaché
at the British Embassy in Budapest
in Hungary where he remained until 1931. In 1933 when he was posted as a major to 19th Field Brigade RA in Bordon
and in 1934 be became Chief Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
In World War II Morgan (nick-named Monkey) initially commanded 10th Field Regiment Royal Artillery with the British Expeditionary Force
and then became the senior staff officer (GSO1) with 1st Division in France. Back in the UK he was appointed to the rank of temporary brigadier
to be Brigadier General Staff (BGS)
of 1st Corps. Having had his permanent rank advanced to full colonel in May 1941(with seniority back dated to 1939), he was appointed acting major-general and named Commander
of 55th Division in that June. In October 1941 he was injured and was forced to relinquish this appointment and revert to the rank of colonel on full pay.
Returned to fitness, in September 1942 Morgan was appointed an acting lieutenant-general to be Chief of the General Staff for Home Forces. When British land forces were reorganised in July 1943 to create 21st Army Group for the planned invasion of northwest Europe, Morgan became Chief of Staff of the new army group. His rank was upgraded to temporary lieutenant-general in September 1943 and he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1944 New Year's honours list. In February 1944 he was made General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief for Southern Command
. While still appointed a temporary lieutenant-general, Morgan's permanent rank was advanced to major-general in May 1944. In March 1945 he became Chief of Staff
to the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean, Field Marshal Harold Alexander In May 1945, he accepted the surrender of all Axis Forces in Italy.. In September 1945 he was appointed Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for the Mediterranean Theatre
and then in October succeeded Alexander as Supreme Allied Commander. Also in October he was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. The Morgan Line
, which at one time demarcated the boundary between Italy and Yugoslavia
, was named after him. In August 1946 Morgan's rank of lieutenant-general was made permanent (with seniority backdated to the end of 1944) and in November 1946 was promoted to general.
In 1947 Morgan was made Commander of British Army Staff in Washington, D.C. and Army member of the Joint Staff Mission to the United States. In this capacity Morgan was offered access to the atomic bomb by General Dwight Eisenhower as an incentive to persuade Britain to give up its own programme. His knighthood was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1949 New Year's honours list and he retired from the army in June 1950.
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 William Duthie Morgan GCB
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....
(1891–1977) 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 during World War II.
Military career
Morgan was commissioned into the Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1913. He served in World War I winning the DSO at the Battle of Le Cateau in 1914 and later the MC and was mentioned in despatches four times. After the war his postings included active service in Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
and a period as a staff officer (GSO3) in the War Office in London. In 1929 he was appointed military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the British Embassy in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in Hungary where he remained until 1931. In 1933 when he was posted as a major to 19th Field Brigade RA in Bordon
Bordon
Bordon is a town in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It lies 5.4 miles southeast of Alton and forms a part of the civil parish of Whitehill, the adjoining village. Both settlements are on the A325 road and close to the A3 road between London and Portsmouth...
and in 1934 be became Chief Instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
In World War II Morgan (nick-named Monkey) initially commanded 10th Field Regiment Royal Artillery with the British Expeditionary Force
British 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....
and then became the senior staff officer (GSO1) with 1st Division in France. Back in the UK he was appointed to the rank of temporary brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
to be Brigadier General Staff (BGS)
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
of 1st Corps. Having had his permanent rank advanced to full colonel in May 1941(with seniority back dated to 1939), he was appointed acting major-general and named Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
of 55th Division in that June. In October 1941 he was injured and was forced to relinquish this appointment and revert to the rank of colonel on full pay.
Returned to fitness, in September 1942 Morgan was appointed an acting lieutenant-general to be Chief of the General Staff for Home Forces. When British land forces were reorganised in July 1943 to create 21st Army Group for the planned invasion of northwest Europe, Morgan became Chief of Staff of the new army group. His rank was upgraded to temporary lieutenant-general in September 1943 and he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1944 New Year's honours list. In February 1944 he was made 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 Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
. While still appointed a temporary lieutenant-general, Morgan's permanent rank was advanced to major-general in May 1944. In March 1945 he became Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
to the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean, Field Marshal Harold Alexander In May 1945, he accepted the surrender of all Axis Forces in Italy.. In September 1945 he was appointed Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for the Mediterranean Theatre
Mediterranean Theater of Operations
The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army was originally called North African Theater of Operations and is an American term for the conflict that took place between the Allies and Axis Powers in North Africa and Italy during World War II...
and then in October succeeded Alexander as Supreme Allied Commander. Also in October he was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. The Morgan Line
Morgan Line
The Morgan Line was the line of demarcation set up after World War II in the region known as Julian March which prior to the war belonged to the Kingdom of Italy. The Morgan Line was the border between two military administrations in the region: the Yugoslav on the east, and that of the Allied...
, which at one time demarcated the boundary between Italy and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, was named after him. In August 1946 Morgan's rank of lieutenant-general was made permanent (with seniority backdated to the end of 1944) and in November 1946 was promoted to general.
In 1947 Morgan was made Commander of British Army Staff in Washington, D.C. and Army member of the Joint Staff Mission to the United States. In this capacity Morgan was offered access to the atomic bomb by General Dwight Eisenhower as an incentive to persuade Britain to give up its own programme. His knighthood was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1949 New Year's honours list and he retired from the army in June 1950.