On 14 June 1937, at the age of 44, Holmes became the British Army's youngest major-general, and after spending a period on half-pay, on 1 March 1938 got his first divisional command, the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, a TA formation. Rommel (1891-1944) Erwin Rommel, known as the Desert Fox, was the most distinguished general in the World War II. In 1940, it appeared that German successes in Poland, France, and Norway would end the war. It. General of the Army George Marshall. After the war he was made Director for Civil Affairs, Military Government, in occupied Germany and in 1946 became Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office, London Jun. He was sure that France and Britain would soon surrender and did not . But no one can beat Union Army PVT Joseph Burger, who won the MoH at age 15 and was immediately given a battlefield commisison to Captain (1863). MacCall was 70 on 15 August 1915. Violet was the youngest female British and Commonwealth service casualty of WW2.She served with the Auxiliary Territorial Service-Attached 490(M) Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery~ Royal Artillery~Service No:W/86125.She was only 16 and the . He attained the rank of field marshal. . Erich von Manstein (1887-1973) 1. A holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds , Galland died in 1996 at the age of 83. Belgium Answer (1 of 7): Not a Soldier, but a sailor, also awarded the VC for actions on HMS Chester, Battle of Jutland. Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943) 7. He lied about his age and forged his mother's signature on the enlistment papers. F our million people died during the three-year war on the Korean Peninsula between 1950 and '53, and although nearly 100,000 British troops fought in the conflict it is seen by many veterans as . [12] India Robert Cassels - Promoted to temporary Brigadier general of Indian Army cavalry in 1917. This is a list of notable surviving veterans of World War II (1939-1945). Reginald Hamilton Earnshaw. Following the British general election of 2010, the Conservative Party won the largest number of seats and negotiated a Coalition Government with the Liberal Democrats. 135 countries took part in World War I, and more than 15 million . He was thus one of the youngest British Army officers at the outbreak of WW2, and was part of the initial British Expeditionary Force in September 1939 until his evacuation from Dunkirk on May 31st 1940\. In September 1942 he took over the II Corps in East Anglia and at the age of 44 became the youngest British (acting) Lieutenant General during the war. Assigned to the 17th Bomb Group, 34th Squadron, he was the co-pilot of a B-26 Marauder and . There are some controversial additions and the ranking is purely my own personal opinion. Charles de Gaulle, in full Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle, (born November 22, 1890, Lille, France—died November 9, 1970, Colombey-les-deux-Églises), French soldier, writer, statesman, and architect of France's Fifth Republic. He was discovered by the 142 nd Guards Rifle Regiment, wandering in the forest in a state of shock and malnourishment. Henry Wilson (September 5, 1881 0 December 31, 1964) also known as "Jumbo" Wilson, saw active service in the Second Boer war and World War I. 2. Having lost his father before the war along with the rest of his family, he was left an orphan at a very young age. 7. At the beginning of November 1917 Bradford was promoted Brigadier-General to command the 186th Brigade of the 62nd (West Riding) Division, becoming at the age of twenty-five the youngest General in the British Army. Dewsbury, Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. The youngest was Major-General H.K. Georgy Zhukov (1896 - 1974) 3. May 13, 2022, 4:18 PM . Excerpt from 'The Leader' A MEMORIAL exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland is being held at Chester Cathedral for a year. The oldest divisional commander appointed during the war was Brigadier-General H.B. Wilson was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal of the British Army. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was concerned that Italy might lose its share of the spoils. As US Army Chief of Staff and chief military adviser to President Roosevelt, many . A number of approximately 200 had…. At 14, he lied about his age to join Britain's Merchant Navy during the war. In action from the very start of British involvement on the Western Front, he survived the desperate mounted charge with cold steel against artillery and machine guns at Audrigines on 24th August 1914. 10 Jack Lucas. His service career started in April of 1917 as a graduate of West Point Academy. He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. Marty finished flight school on January 7th, 1944 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest pilot to receive his wings. (111-SC-235858) World War II Army Enlistment Records provide a rich source of information for genealogists and other researchers at the National Archives and Records Adminstration interested . 10. And while a 30-something three-star is certainly a rarity in the annals of military history, a number of other legendary leaders assumed the mantle of command at far younger ages. A highly decorated officer, he won the respect . 4. Edward J. Timberlake Jr., who was the youngest general officer when promoted to Brigadier General aged 33 for outstanding combat duty with the Air Forces overseas. Listed are those who held a generals rank during active service during World War II, but it also includes a number of retired generals with high political appointments. Despite his myriad accomplishments, James M. Gavin is perhaps best remembered for being one of the youngest generals of the Second World War. . Mussolini's Campaign in Africa. Nov 21, 2013 Ian Harvey. 4 Camping Overnight Is Frowned Upon And Discouraged. From fun quizzes that bring joy to your day, to compelling photography and fascinating lists, HowStuffWorks Play offers something for everyone. Guy Simonds (April 23, 1903 - May 15, 1974) was a Canadian Army officer who commanded the II Canadian Corps during World War II. He was appointed as a 2 nd lieutenant of Infantry but rose quickly in rank with the rapid escalation of the United States involvement in WWI. World War I (WW1) also known as the First World War, was a global war centered in Europe that began on 28th July 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918. LONDON, Sept. 29 (Reuters) -- One of the youngest British generals of World War II, Gen. Sir Francis Festing, took over Britain's top military job today as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Burial ground of Auchinleck, Claude John Eyre, "The Auk ". Published Oct. 11, 2016 By Airman 1st Class Abby Finkel 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- He was a decorated World War II fighter pilot who, at the age of 23, became the youngest Airman in history to be promoted to the rank of colonel. Feldmarschall Von Manstein was clearly the best line officer in the German Army. Answer (1 of 7): Not a Soldier, but a sailor, also awarded the VC for actions on HMS Chester, Battle of Jutland. Section P. Grave 440. He was not one of the good guys, since he fought on Germany's side, but this did not affect his qualities as a general. Updated July 6, 2011. Among the best pilots in WWII was Adolph Galland. Brigadier-General John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl (1871—1942), Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade. Guy Simonds. The youngest United States Service member that saw combat during World War II was S2/C Calvin Leon Graham assigned to the battleship USS South Dakota 4 October 1942, he was 12 years old. Presiding over it was Lord Raglan, a former aide to the Duke of Wellington completely out of his depth. U.S. Army's youngest General, Mark W. Clark, is thought by many to be one of the best U.S. Here's a closer look at the German on the far left who is about to die. Archibald Wavell This is inescapable and there is some truth to it. WWII veteran remembers D-Day, French town holds parade to honor Allied soldiers . 1. He became a senior British General in the Middle East and Mediterranean during World War II. Brigadier-General Horace Sewell was one of the most distinguished British cavalry officers of the First World War. Italic===C - 86 veterans=== List of last surviving veterans of military insurgencies and wars Baseball In Wartime Football and America: World War II Movie Stars that fought in World War II Society For International Hockey. He saw active service throughout the remainder of WW2, including in North Africa, Italy and Greece. Guy Simonds (1903-1974) 5. Graham was just 11 and in the sixth grade in Crockett . And even then, you must really stay on the official trail paths. Dan Inouye also received a battlefield commission to Captain at the age of 20. He survived both the Spanish Civil War and World War II, and worked for Argentinian dictator Juan Peron. Dean C. Strother, 35, promoted to Brigadier General for work with a fighter command in the South Pacific. In 1951 he was appointed Chief of The General Staff, the most senior member . He promptly married his girlfriend Jo Ann before deployment and as you can imagine, they would remain married for the next 63 years. Brigadier Robert Ringrose Gelston Atkins [2] (1891—1969), Royal Army Medical Corps. Galusha Pennypacker achieved a measure of fame for claiming to be the youngest general of all. British General leaves lasting impact on Fort Hood soldiers. ID: 9178160. Calvin Graham, the fresh-faced seaman who had set off for battle from the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the summer of 1942, was only 12 years old. Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) 10. The Top Ten. Now 57, in 1942 General Templer, at the age of 44, became the youngest Lt. General in the British Army. She continued her service until 1949 and eventually became the chief clerk of the dispensary at Fort Meyer, near Washington D.C. Noone ended her military career with the rank of sergeant first class. Seryozha Aleshkov is the youngest World War II vet at the age of 6 years old. This is a list of the 10 greatest generals in World War II. Documents on the birth of Sergey Aleshkov were not preserved, but his estimated year of birth is 1934 or 1936 in the forest village of Gryn in the Kaluga region. Cool headed guy that had a lot of ego's to contend with but did a great job. In 1945, he did just that and presided over the Japanese surrender. George Patton (1885-1945) 2. By Stephen Sherman, Aug. 2002. It. The American general Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) attained widespread fame through his military activities in the Pacific during World War II and the cold war. Adolph Galland. At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 Templer was an acting lieutenant-colonel, and, on 4 September, . He was born on 16.06.12 and became a Brigadier in 1944, as well as a Colonel earlier in the year.. This meant that every unit - infantry battalion, cavalry squadron, artillery battery - had its contingent of boy soldiers, numbering about 20 boy soldiers per unit. Gen. Marshall looks like he's already sick of your shit. Major-General Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (1874—1957), Head of British Mission Belgian, Grand Quartier Général. 4 Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was an American politician and general who served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. Commander-in-Chief, India from 1935-41. George Marshall was a major planner of the U.S. Army's training for World War I and one of Gen. John J. Pershing's aides-de-camp. 10. Alfred Critchley - Youngest British Army general of World War I. Commanded RAF No. Before World War II began in 1939, World War I was called the Great War, the World War or the War to End all Wars. G alland was the youngest general grade office of either side in World War II. Generals of World War II. His reputation is a very bad one; he is characterized as a general who sat hundreds of miles behind the front and had a willful disregard for the lives of his men - the Donkey that commanded the Lions. He was discovered by the 142 nd Guards Rifle Regiment, wandering in the forest in a state of shock and malnourishment. Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on January 26, 1880, the descendant of a long line of military men. From the beginning, the Canadian Army based its command structure and regimental economy on the British Army. 06, 1955 - To Rise In The Fall: Britain recently announced . The youngest (age 45) to hold the rank in the British Army, he assumed command of the 1st Infantry Division in February 1938. Noone enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in 1943 at the age of 44 years old. Hitler's Degenerate Art Exhibition reminiscences found in a flat in Munich. Instead 4 Soviet Marshalls and 5 German German Generals commanded and . Tomoyuki Yamashita (1885-1946) 4. Lucas managed to qualify as a sharpshooter in the Marines. He served as a cabin boy aboard the SS North Devon for a few months until it was attacked by German . Fourteen-year-old Jack Lucas was eager to go to war. However, it did not take too long for the officers to realize that Lucas was underage. Konstantin Rokossovsky (1885-1957) 8. For those looking to pitch a tent and camp in the Suicide Forest you will be strongly discouraged from doing so. National Archives. Youngest British service death in World War II. Calvin Leon Graham is the youngest WWII veteran who died November 6, 1992 at the age of 62. Assigned to the 17th Bomb Group, 34th Squadron, he was the co-pilot of a B-26 Marauder and . MacCall (GOC 59th (2/North Midland) Division, 6 January 1915 - 14 November 1915). Due in part to MacArthur's strategies, casualties under his command were relatively low. He served as acting commander of the First Canadian Army, leading the Allied forces to victory in the Battle of Scheldt in 1944. Jack Cornwell aged 16. Boy service counted as half man service. Like Douglas Haig - 1 st Earl Haig Haig is the most controversial addition to the list. He promptly married his girlfriend Jo Ann before deployment and as you can imagine, they would remain married for the next 63 years. (WWII) George HW Bush was a LTJG at 19, youngest pilot in WWII. 1 Erich von Manstein Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (24 November 1887 - 9 June 1973) was a German commander of the Wehrmacht, Nazi Germany's armed forces during the Second World War. Description: "Sidney Lewis 1903-1969 youngest British soldier First World War aged twelve lived here". Photo credit: USA Today. He was buried in Ben M'Sik European Cemetery, Casablanca, next to the grave of Raymond Victor Steed, Steed died age 14, on 26-04-1943 and was the second youngest British services recruit to die during the Second World War. Lucky for you, HowStuffWorks Play is here to help. At 14 probably the youngest soldier to die in WW1 British forces. The Generals. Adolph Galland was born March 19, 1912, Westerholt, near Recklinghausen, Germany. In September 1914, only a month after war had been started, British cricketers put their bats and balls aside. Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) 6. Marshall - Chief of Staff - commanded the US Army during World War II. For each general you will find information on the . Galland was a German fighter ace and officer who commanded the fighter forces of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during World War II. Eight Union soldiers and seven Confederates wore generals' stars before they reached the age of 25. Our award-winning website offers reliable, easy-to-understand explanations about how the world works. The Black General. After the war he was made Director for Civil Affairs, Military Government, in occupied Germany and in 1946 became Director of Military Intelligence at the War Office, London Jun. One Soviet child, Sergey Aleshkov, was the youngest participant in the Battle of Stalingrad and one of the youngest soldiers of the World War II. Douglas Macarthur (1880-1964) 9. photo source: gerontology.wikia.com Gertrude Noone is the second oldest female World War II veteran ever. ARTICLES. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's youngest, little Lilibet, celebrated her first birthday this weekend and many royal family members couldn't attend. Title: Plaque at 934 Garratt Lane, Tooting, London. The family had produced historians and writers, and . John Evans: The England cricketer who escaped from two prisoner of war camps. His father, Arthur MacArthur, was a well-known general. Bethell (GOC 66th (2/East Lancashires) Division, 31 March 1918- end ofthe war). With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Alexander prepared his men for combat and soon deployed to France as part of General Lord Gort's British Expeditionary Force. Jack Cornwell aged 16. In early 1943 Templers Corps command was dissolved and he took over instead . Unlike for most of WW2 in Europe,neither Hitler or Stalin leaded this one. The war lasted exactly four years, three months and 14 days. The AAD resource has 9.2 million records for enlistments in the Army, Enlisted Reserve Corps, and Women s Army Auxiliary Corps for the period 1938—1946. Ultimately, such ambitions are seen as disrespectful by many of Japanese. On June 10, 1940, he declared war on Britain and France. Sometimes we explain how stuff works, other times . Braving the stormy Atlantic, the expanse of the Pacific, and the daily rigors of life aboard ship were challenging enough during peacetime; however, during the dark days of the war a determined enemy, bent on bringing the island nation and its far-flung empire to their knees, unleashed a vicious campaign . Now 57, in 1942 General Templer, at the age of 44, became the youngest Lt. General in the British Army. During the latter years of his career, he reported only to the President. This leader of the Conservative Party was the youngest British Prime Minister for 198 years. This list is specifically limited to the period between the beginning of the Spanish War of Succession and the end of the Second World War, and is restricted to generals who were born in the British Isles. It was whilst leading his Brigade subsequent to the attack on the Hindenburg Line, that he was killed by a stray shell. 06, 1955 - To Rise In The Fall: Britain recently announced . April 29, 1945 ( US Army photograph) You can see the piles of dead Germans lying there. He was allegedly only 16 when he enlisted in the 9th Pennsylvania Infantry immediately after Fort Sumter fell, yet he became the quartermaster sergeant. It was a request of Auchenleck to be buried next to Steed . Seryozha Aleshkov is the youngest World War II vet at the age of 6 years old. Michael E. Haskew Duty in the British Merchant Navy was hazardous during World War II. In the list below you will find the generals categorized by each nation and then alphabetical by last name. De Gaulle was the second son of a Roman Catholic, patriotic, and nationalist upper-middle-class family. 9 FitzRoy James Henry Somerset 2nd Baron Raglan (1788-1855) The Crimean War (1853-1856) is the apotheosis of British military incompetence, a conflict mismanaged on every level. The youngest British and Commonwealth service casualty was Boy Reginald Hamilton Earnshaw who also died in 1941. A grave marker 30.Nov.1944, adorned with flowers at his last resting place, the youngest German Soldier Siegfried Linke in this German Ww2 Cemetery Private J Condon. Henry Rawlinson - 1st Baron Rawlinson Rawlinson is a controversial addition to the list for . Michael E. Haskew. Duty in the British Merchant Navy was hazardous during World War II. Excerpt from 'The Leader' A MEMORIAL exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland is being held at Chester Cathedral for a year. 2 people found this helpful. 54 Reserve Group from 1939-43. Who were the main leaders in the Battle of Berlin? The description of the photo below reads: Photo showing execution of Waffen-SS troops in a coal yard in the area of the Dachau concentration camp during its liberation. Consider these: Second World War Having lost his father before the war along with the rest of his family, he was left an orphan at a very young age. Connected by: Yvonne27542. General George Marshall -. Enoch Powell is frequently cited as the youngest British general in WW2.