John Dill

88
John Dill bigraphy, stories - Army officer

John Dill : biography

25 December 1881 – 1944-11-4

Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO (25 December 1881 – 4 November 1944) was a British commander in World War I and World War II. From May 1940 to December 1941 he was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and subsequently in Washington, as Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission and then Senior British Representative on the Combined Chiefs of Staff, played a significant role during World War II in the formation of the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Notes

Death

Dill served in Washington until his death from aplastic anaemia in November 1944. His funeral arrangements reflected the great professional and personal respect and affection that he had earned. A memorial service was held in Washington National Cathedral and the route of the cortege was lined by some thousands of troops, following which he was interred in Arlington National Cemetery, where a simple service was conducted at the graveside. A witness recorded that "I have never seen so many men so visibly shaken by sadness. Marshall’s face was truly stricken …". He was sorely missed by the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sent a fulsome message of condolence to their British colleagues:Danchev (1991), pp. 67–68. We feel we share equally with you the loss to our combined war effort resulting from the death of Field Marshal Sir John Dill. His character and wisdom, his selfless devotion to the allied cause, made his contribution to the combined British-American war effort of outstanding importance. It is not too much to say that probably no other individual was more responsible for the achievement of complete cooperation in the work of the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

… we have looked to him with complete confidence as a leader in our combined deliberations. He has been a personal friend of all of us …

We mourn with you the passing of a great and wise soldier, and a great gentleman. His task in this war has been well done.

He was posthumously awarded an American Distinguished Service Medal in 1944 as well as receiving an unprecedented joint resolution of the United States Congress appreciating his services.

Honours and awards

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 1942 (KCB – 1937; CB – 1928)
  • Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George – 1918
  • Distinguished Service Order – 1915
  • Mentioned in Despatches – 17 February 1915, 22 June 1915, 15 June 1916, 4 January 1917, 15 May 1917, 11 December 1917, 20 December 1918 and 5 July 1919
  • Distinguished Service Medal – 21 November 1944 (posthumously)
  • Officer of the Légion d’honneur (France)
  • Croix de guerre (France)
  • Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)
  • Croix de guerre (Belgium)
  • Officer of the Order of the Crown of Romania
  • Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav – 26 November 1943
  • Order of Polonia Restituta, 1st class – 22 July 1941

Early life

Born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland in 1881, his father was the local bank manager and his mother was a Greer from Woodville, Lurgan. Always intended for a career in the services, Dill attended the Methodist College Belfast, Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. On 8 May 1901 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st battalion of the Leinster Regiment and was posted to South Africa to see out the Second Boer War.Heathcote, Anthony pg 102

Military career

Dill was appointed regimental adjutant on 15 August 1906, having previously been assistant adjutant from 1902. Promoted captain on 12 July 1911, he was seconded to study at the Staff College, Camberley from 1 February 1913, and was still there on the outbreak of the First World War.Heathcote, Anthony pg 103 He became brigade-major of the 25th brigade (8th division) in France where he was present at Neuve Chapelle. By the end of the war he was a brigadier and had been Mentioned in Despatches eight times. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1918 New Year Honours. He also received a number of foreign decorations for his service, including the Légion d’honneur, in the degree of Officer, the French Croix de guerre, Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium), Officer of the Order of the Crown of Romania.