GB 0099 KCLMA Dempsey - DEMPSEY, Gen Sir Miles Christopher (1896-1969)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0099 KCLMA Dempsey

Title

DEMPSEY, Gen Sir Miles Christopher (1896-1969)

Date(s)

  • Created 1944-1945 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

7 boxes or 0.07 cubic metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Born 1896; educated at Shrewsbury and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; served in World War One, 1914-1918; commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regt, 1915; Lt, 1915; served on Western Front, 1916-1918; acting Capt, 1916-1918; Adjutant, 1 Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt, 1917-1918; awarded MC, 1918; acting Capt, 1918-1921; service in Iraq, 1919-1920; Capt, 1921; service with officers Company of Gentleman Cadets, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1923-1927; Maj, 1932; Staff Capt, War Office, 1932-1934; Bde Maj, Aldershot Command, 1934-1936; General Staff Officer 2, Defence Forces, Union of South Africa, 1937-1938; Lt Col, 1938; Commanding Officer, 1 Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt, 1939; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; acting Brig, 1939-1940; commanded 13 Infantry Bde, campaign in France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk, 1940; awarded DSO, 1940; Chief of Staff, Canadian Corps, UK, 1940; Col, 1941; acting Maj Gen, 1941; General Officer Commanding 46 (North Midland and West Riding) Div, UK, 1941; General Officer Commanding 42 Armoured Div, UK, 1942; General Officer Commanding 13 Corps, 8 Army, North Africa and the Allied Invasions of Sicily and Italy, 1942-1943; awarded CB, 1943; General Officer Commanding 2 Army, 21 Army Group, Allied Invasion of Normandy and North West Europe campaign, 1944-1945; created KCB, 1944; General Officer Commanding 14 Army in reoccupation of Singapore and Malaya, 1945; created KBE, 1945; Commander-in-Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia, 1945-1946; Gen, 1946; Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, 1946-1947; Aide de Camp General to the King, 1946-1947; retired 1947; Chairman, Racecourse Betting Control Board, 1947-1951; Col, The Royal Berkshire Regt, 1947-1956; Col Commandant, Corps of Royal Military Police, 1947-1957; Deputy Lieutenant, Berkshire, 1950; Commander-in-Chief (designate), UK Land Forces, 1951-1956; Col Commandant, 1 Special Air Service Regt (SAS), 1951-1960; Chairman, H and G Simonds, 1953-1963; Chairman, Greene, King and Sons Limited, 1955-1969; appointed GBE, 1956; Deputy Chairman, Courage, Barclay and Simonds Limited, 1961-1966; died 1969.

Archival history

GB 0099 KCLMA Dempsey Created 1944-1945 Collection (fonds) 7 boxes or 0.07 cubic metres

Born 1896; educated at Shrewsbury and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; served in World War One, 1914-1918; commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Regt, 1915; Lt, 1915; served on Western Front, 1916-1918; acting Capt, 1916-1918; Adjutant, 1 Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt, 1917-1918; awarded MC, 1918; acting Capt, 1918-1921; service in Iraq, 1919-1920; Capt, 1921; service with officers Company of Gentleman Cadets, Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 1923-1927; Maj, 1932; Staff Capt, War Office, 1932-1934; Bde Maj, Aldershot Command, 1934-1936; General Staff Officer 2, Defence Forces, Union of South Africa, 1937-1938; Lt Col, 1938; Commanding Officer, 1 Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt, 1939; served in World War Two, 1939-1945; acting Brig, 1939-1940; commanded 13 Infantry Bde, campaign in France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) from Dunkirk, 1940; awarded DSO, 1940; Chief of Staff, Canadian Corps, UK, 1940; Col, 1941; acting Maj Gen, 1941; General Officer Commanding 46 (North Midland and West Riding) Div, UK, 1941; General Officer Commanding 42 Armoured Div, UK, 1942; General Officer Commanding 13 Corps, 8 Army, North Africa and the Allied Invasions of Sicily and Italy, 1942-1943; awarded CB, 1943; General Officer Commanding 2 Army, 21 Army Group, Allied Invasion of Normandy and North West Europe campaign, 1944-1945; created KCB, 1944; General Officer Commanding 14 Army in reoccupation of Singapore and Malaya, 1945; created KBE, 1945; Commander-in-Chief, Allied Land Forces, South East Asia, 1945-1946; Gen, 1946; Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, 1946-1947; Aide de Camp General to the King, 1946-1947; retired 1947; Chairman, Racecourse Betting Control Board, 1947-1951; Col, The Royal Berkshire Regt, 1947-1956; Col Commandant, Corps of Royal Military Police, 1947-1957; Deputy Lieutenant, Berkshire, 1950; Commander-in-Chief (designate), UK Land Forces, 1951-1956; Col Commandant, 1 Special Air Service Regt (SAS), 1951-1960; Chairman, H and G Simonds, 1953-1963; Chairman, Greene, King and Sons Limited, 1955-1969; appointed GBE, 1956; Deputy Chairman, Courage, Barclay and Simonds Limited, 1961-1966; died 1969.

Presented to the Centre by Dempsey in 1965.

One volume of 23 typescript 2 Army planning intelligence summaries, dated 28 Jan-20 May 1944, relating to Operation NEPTUNE, the assault phase of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Jun 1944, with 31 aerial photographs of Normandy. Fourteen volumes of 336 typescript 2 Army intelligence summaries, dated 24 May 1944-5 May 1945, relating to the Allied campaign in North West Europe, 1944-1945, with 7 photographs of ice formations in the river Waal, the Netherlands, 1945.

Chronologically, within volumes.

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.
English

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

The papers of Lt Gen Sir Charles Walter Allfrey include the text of an address to senior officers of 13 Corps, given at Venafro, Italy, Apr 1944 (Ref: Allfrey 4/5), and an annual confidential report on Allfrey by Dempsey, Apr 1947 (Ref: Allfrey 7/2). The papers of Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart include correspondence with Dempsey, 1951-1963, and obituaries, 1969 (Ref: LH 1/230); notes of interview with Dempsey, 1946, on SHAEF strategy and operations in North West Europe, 1944 (Ref: LH 15/15/130); copies of pre-operational notes by Dempsey for Operation GOODWOOD, 2 Army's assault south east of Caen, France, 18-21 Jul 1944 (LH 15/4/85 and 15/15/97); newspaper cuttings relating to British and Canadian wartime commanders, including Dempsey, 1940-1952 (Ref: LH 15/4/484); newspaper cuttings on Dempsey's appointment as Commander-in-Chief (designate), UK Land Forces, May 1951; notes and correspondence with Dempsey relating to The Tanks: The history of the Royal Tank Regiment by Liddell Hart (Cassell, London, 1959), 1941-1958 (Ref: LH 9/28/33); typescript memorandum by Dempsey, dated 1 Sep 1944, to Lt Gen Frederick Arthur Montague Browning, General Officer Commanding Airborne Corps, on Operation SABOT, the advance from the river Seine to Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium, 3-4 Sep 1944 (LH 9/28/84). The papers of Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor include eight letters to Dempsey relating to the North West Europe campaign and preparations for the invasion of Malaya, 1944-1945 (Ref: O'Connor 5/2-4); letter to O'Connor from Dempsey on the planned removal of Maj Gen Allan Henry Shafto Adair from command of the Guards Armoured Div, Feb 1944 (Ref: O'Connor 5/4/4); Dempsey's obituary from The Times, Jun 1969 (Ref: O'Connor 11/16). The papers of Gen Sir Harold English Pyman include 17 letters from Dempsey, 1946-1963 (Ref: Pyman 6/6). The Public Record Office, Kew, hold military papers relating to Dempsey, 1944-1945 (Ref: WO 285).

Decorations: GBE, KCB, DSO, MC
Jan 1999 Aerial photographs Armed forces British Army Europe France International conflicts International relations Military engineering Military intelligence Military operations Military organizations Netherlands Normandy Operation Neptune (1944) Operation Overlord (1944) Organizations Photographs State security Visual materials Waal, River War Warfare Western Europe World wars (events) World War Two (1939-1945) Wars (events) Military science Social sciences

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Presented to the Centre by Dempsey in 1965.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

One volume of 23 typescript 2 Army planning intelligence summaries, dated 28 Jan-20 May 1944, relating to Operation NEPTUNE, the assault phase of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Jun 1944, with 31 aerial photographs of Normandy. Fourteen volumes of 336 typescript 2 Army intelligence summaries, dated 24 May 1944-5 May 1945, relating to the Allied campaign in North West Europe, 1944-1945, with 7 photographs of ice formations in the river Waal, the Netherlands, 1945.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Chronologically, within volumes.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, attention of the Director of Archive Services.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The papers of Lt Gen Sir Charles Walter Allfrey include the text of an address to senior officers of 13 Corps, given at Venafro, Italy, Apr 1944 (Ref: Allfrey 4/5), and an annual confidential report on Allfrey by Dempsey, Apr 1947 (Ref: Allfrey 7/2). The papers of Capt Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart include correspondence with Dempsey, 1951-1963, and obituaries, 1969 (Ref: LH 1/230); notes of interview with Dempsey, 1946, on SHAEF strategy and operations in North West Europe, 1944 (Ref: LH 15/15/130); copies of pre-operational notes by Dempsey for Operation GOODWOOD, 2 Army's assault south east of Caen, France, 18-21 Jul 1944 (LH 15/4/85 and 15/15/97); newspaper cuttings relating to British and Canadian wartime commanders, including Dempsey, 1940-1952 (Ref: LH 15/4/484); newspaper cuttings on Dempsey's appointment as Commander-in-Chief (designate), UK Land Forces, May 1951; notes and correspondence with Dempsey relating to The Tanks: The history of the Royal Tank Regiment by Liddell Hart (Cassell, London, 1959), 1941-1958 (Ref: LH 9/28/33); typescript memorandum by Dempsey, dated 1 Sep 1944, to Lt Gen Frederick Arthur Montague Browning, General Officer Commanding Airborne Corps, on Operation SABOT, the advance from the river Seine to Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium, 3-4 Sep 1944 (LH 9/28/84). The papers of Gen Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor include eight letters to Dempsey relating to the North West Europe campaign and preparations for the invasion of Malaya, 1944-1945 (Ref: O'Connor 5/2-4); letter to O'Connor from Dempsey on the planned removal of Maj Gen Allan Henry Shafto Adair from command of the Guards Armoured Div, Feb 1944 (Ref: O'Connor 5/4/4); Dempsey's obituary from The Times, Jun 1969 (Ref: O'Connor 11/16). The papers of Gen Sir Harold English Pyman include 17 letters from Dempsey, 1946-1963 (Ref: Pyman 6/6). The Public Record Office, Kew, hold military papers relating to Dempsey, 1944-1945 (Ref: WO 285).

Finding aids

Summary guide available on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and in hard copy in the Centre's reading room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Decorations: GBE, KCB, DSO, MC

Notes area

Note

Decorations: GBE, KCB, DSO, MC

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area