Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (10 December 189116 June 1969) was a British
military commander and field marshal
of Anglo-Irish
descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada
, the 17th since Canadian Confederation
.
Alexander was born in London
, England
, to parents of noble
heritage, and was educated at English public schools
before moving on to Sandhurst
for training as an army officer. He rose to prominence through his service in the First World War
, receiving numerous honours and decorations, and continued his military career through various British campaigns across Europe
and Asia
. In the Second World War
, Alexander acted as a high ranking commander in North Africa and Italy. He commanded 15th Army Group in Sicily and again in Italy before being made Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean. He was in 1946 appointed as governor general by George VI
, king of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
, William Lyon Mackenzie King
, to replace the Earl of Athlone
as viceroy
, and he occupied the post until succeeded by Vincent Massey
in 1952. Alexander proved to be enthusiastic about the Canadian wilderness, as well as a popular governor general with the Canadian people, and he would be the last non-Canadian-born governor general before the appointment of Adrienne Clarkson
in 1999.
After the end of his viceregal tenure, Alexander was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
and thereafter, in order to serve as the British Minister of Defence in the Cabinet
of Winston Churchill
, into the Queen's British Privy Council. Alexander retired in 1954 and died in 1969.
and Countess of Caledon, the latter being a daughter of the Earl of Norbury
. Alexander was educated at Hawtreys
and Harrow School
, there participating as the 11th batsman in the notorious Fowler's Match
against Eton College
in 1910. Though Alexander toyed with the notion of becoming an artist, he went instead on to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
in the Irish Guards
, which, when the First World War
erupted only three years later, formed part of the original British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Alexander was by then a 22-year-old lieutenant
(having been promoted in December 1912) and platoon
commander, until February 1915, when he was promoted to the rank of captain
, and, in February 1917, to major. However, during certain periods, Alexander acted in higher ranking capacities, notably for three months in 1917 when he was an acting lieutenant-colonel while still only a substantive captain, as well as for nearly all the time between November 1917 and the end of the war, when he acted in the same rank in command of a battalion. He briefly had to assume command of his brigade during the British retreat of March 1918, after which Alexander was further charged with the command of a corps infantry school as an acting lieutenant-colonel in October of the same year.
During his service on the Western Front
, Alexander was wounded twice in four years of fighting. For his bravery and sacrifice, he received in January 1916 the Military Cross
, and in October of the same year was appointed to the Distinguished Service Order
, the citation for which read: "For conspicuous gallantry in action. He was the life and soul of the attack, and throughout the day led forward not only his own men but men of all regiments. He held the trenches gained in spite of heavy machine gun fire." In the same month Alexander was also inducted into the French Légion d'honneur
.
Rudyard Kipling
, who wrote a history of the Irish Guards, in which his own son fought and was killed, noted that, "it is undeniable that Colonel Alexander had the gift of handling the men on the lines to which they most readily responded... His subordinates loved him, even when he fell upon them blisteringly for their shortcomings; and his men were all his own."
in the Latvian War of Independence, commanding units loyal to the Republic of Latvia
in the successful drive to eject the Bolsheviks
from Latgalia. After later serving in Turkey
and Gibraltar
, in 1922 Alexander's temporary rank was made substantive when he was appointed to command the 1st battalion of his regiment, and in January 1926 he was released from that role to attend Staff College, Camberley
. Alexander was then in February 1928 promoted to colonel, and was the next month appointed as commandant
of the Irish Guards and its regimental district
, a post he held until January 1930, when he again returned to study, attending the Imperial Defence College for one year. There, two of Alexander's instructors the future field marshals Alan Brooke and Bernard Montgomery were unimpressed by him.
After the completion of his courses, Alexander, on 14 October 1931, married Lady Margaret Bingham
, the daughter of the Earl of Lucan
and with whom Alexander had two sons Shane
, born 1935, and Brian, born 1939 and a daughter, as well as adopting another daughter during his time as Canada's governor general. Alexander then held staff appointments as GSO2 and GSO1 before being made in October 1934 a temporary brigadier and given command of the Nowshera Brigade, on the Northwest Frontier
in India. For his service there, and in particular for his actions in the Loe-Agra operations between February and April 1935, Alexander was that year made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India
and was mentioned in despatches. He was mentioned once more for his service during operations in Mohamad Province during August and October of the same year.
In March 1937, Alexander was appointed as one of the aides-de-camp
to the recently acceded King George VI
and in May returned to the United Kingdom to take part in this capacity in the state procession through London during the King's coronation
. Alexander would have been seen in this event by two of his Canadian viceregal successors: Vincent Massey
, who was then the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Massey's secretary, Georges Vanier
, who watched the procession from the roof of Canada House
on Trafalgar Square
. Following the coronation celebration, Alexander returned to India, where he was made the honorary colonel of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment
, and then in October 1937 was promoted to the rank of major-general, making Alexander the youngest general in the British Army
. He relinquished command of his brigade in January 1938, and in February returned to the United Kingdom to take command of the 1st Infantry Division.
in September 1939, Alexander brought the 1st Infantry Division to France
, where, in late May 1940, he successfully led the division's withdrawal to Dunkirk
. Shortly after Bernard Montgomery had been appointed to command II Corps, Alexander was, while still on the beachhead, placed in command of I Corps, and left the beach on 3 June after ensuring that all British troops had been evacuated. In recognition of his services in the field from March to June 1940, Alexander was again mentioned in despatches.
Having been confirmed as a lieutenant-general in July 1940, Alexander returned to the UK to be made the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Southern Command
, which was responsible for the defence of south-west England
. On 1 January 1942 he was knighted and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
, and in February, after the Japan
ese invasion of Burma
, was sent to India to become GOC-in-C Burma as a full general
. While he commanded what would later be the Fourteenth Army, Alexander left the tactical conduct of the campaign to his corps commander, Bill Slim, while Alexander himself handled the more political aspects of relations with Joe Stillwell, the nominal commander of the Chinese forces.
By July 1942, the British and Indian forces in Burma had completed their fighting retreat back into India, and Alexander, having yet again been mentioned in despatches for his Burma service, was recalled to the United Kingdom. He was at first selected to command the First Army, which was to take part in Operation Torch
, the invasion of North Africa. However, following a visit in early August to Egypt
by British prime minister
Winston Churchill
and the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke
, Alexander flew to Cairo
on 8 August to replace Claude Auchinleck
as the Commander-in-Chief of Middle East Command
, the post responsible for the overall conduct of the campaign in the desert
of North Africa. At the same time, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery
replaced Auchinleck as the general officer commanding the Eighth Army
. Alexander presided over Montgomery's victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein
and the advance of the Eighth Army to Tripoli
, for which Alexander was elevated to a knight grand cross of the Order of the Bath, and, after the Anglo-American forces from Operation Torch and the Eighth Army converged in Tunisia
in February 1943, they were brought under the unified command of a newly-formed 18th Army Group headquarters, commanded by Alexander and reporting to Dwight D. Eisenhower
, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean at the Allied Forces Headquarters
.
The Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered by May 1943, and Alexander's command became the 15th Army Group, which was, under Eisenhower, responsible for mounting in July the Allied invasion of Sicily
, again seeing Alexander controlling two armies: Montgomery's Eighth Army and George S. Patton
's Seventh United States Army. After Sicily, and in preparation for the allied invasion of Italy, the Seventh Army headquarters were replaced by those of the Fifth United States Army, led by Mark Clark.
When Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander for the planned Normandy Landings he suggested that Alexander become ground forces commander, as he was popular with both British and US officers. Brooke, however, applied pressure to keep Alexander in Italy, considering him unfit for the assignment in France. Thus, Alexander remained in command of the 15th Army Group, and, with the support of numerous allied commanders, controversially authorised the bombing of the historic abbey at Cassino
, which resulted in little advance on the German Winter Line
defences. It was not until the fourth attempt that the Winter Line was breached by the Allies, and Alexander's forces moved on to capture Rome
in June 1944, thereby achieving one of the strategic goals of the Italian campaign
. However, US Fifth Army forces at Anzio
, under Clark's orders, failed to follow their original break-out plan that would have trapped the German forces escaping northwards in the aftermath of the Battle of Monte Cassino
, instead favouring an early and highly publicised entry into Rome two days before the Allied landings in Normandy.
Alexander remained in command of 15th Army Group, as well as its successor, the Allied Armies in Italy
, for most of the Italian Campaign, until December 1944, when he relinquished his command to Clark and took over as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Headquarters, responsible for all military operations in the Mediterranean Theatre. Alexander was concurrently promoted to the rank of field marshal, though this was backdated to the fall of Rome on 4 June 1944, so that Alexander would once again be senior to Montgomery, who had himself been made a field marshal on 1 September 1944, after the end of the Battle of Normandy. Alexander then received the German surrender in Italy, on 29 April 1945. Further, as a reward for his leadership in North Africa and Italy, Alexander, along with a number of other prominent British Second World War military leaders, was elevated to the peerage
on 1 March 1946 by King George VI; he was created Viscount Alexander of Tunis
and Errigal
in the County of Donegal
.
Of Alexander, Alan Brooke felt that he needed an able chief of staff "to think for him", while Montgomery (Alexander's subordinate in Africa and Italy) claimed to think of Alexander as "incompetent" and success was only attained in Tunisia only because Montgomery lent Brian Horrocks
to organise the coup de grace. However, Harold Macmillan
was impressed by Alexander's calm and style, conducting dinners in his mess like those at an Oxbridge high table, discussing architecture and the campaigns of Belisarius
, rather than the current war. Macmillan thought Alexander's urbane manner and willingness to discuss and compromise were a sensible way to maintain inter-Allied cooperation, but Alexander's reserve was such that some thought him empty of strategic ideas and unable to make decisions. Mark Clark allegedly exploited Alexander's supposed inability to assert his will over his army commanders.
William Lyon Mackenzie King
to be his recommendation to the King for the post of Governor General of Canada
. Alexander thus chose to retire from the army and take up the new position, and, in preparation for his viceregal posting, was on 26 January 1946 appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
. It was then announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
on 21 March 1946 that George VI had, by commission under the royal sign-manual
and signet, approved the recommendation of his prime minister, Mackenzie King, to appoint Alexander as his representative. Alexander was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on 12 April that year.
Alexander took his duties as the viceroy quite seriously, feeling that, as governor general, he acted as a connection between Canadians and their king, and spent considerable time travelling Canada during his term; he eventually logged no less than 294,500 km (184,000 mi) during his five years as governor general. On these trips, he sought to engage with Canadians through various ceremonies and events; he was keenly interested in his role as Chief Scout of Canada, and, in preparation for his kicking of the opening ball in the 1946 Grey Cup
final, practised frequently on the grounds of the royal and viceroyal residence, Rideau Hall
. Also, in commemoration of Alexander being named the first non-aboriginal chief of the Kwakiutl
tribe, he was gifted a totem pole
on 13 July 1946; crafted by Mungo Martin
, it remains on the grounds of Rideau Hall today. By the end of the year, Alexander was also distinguished with his induction as a Knight of the Order of the Garter
.
In 1947, the King issued letters patent
granting his Canadian governor general permission to exercise all those powers belonging to the monarch in respect of Canada, and, at the Imperial Conference of 1949, the decision was reached to use the term member of the Commonwealth instead of Dominion to refer to the non-British member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
. That same year, Alexander oversaw the admission of the British crown colony of Newfoundland
into Canadian Confederation
and toured the new province that summer. Then, during a later visit to Alberta
, the Governor General was admitted to the Blackfoot
tribe as Chief Eagle Head. However, though the post-war period saw a boom in prosperity for Canada, the country was again at war by 1950, with Alexander, in his role as acting commander-in-chief, deploying to the Korean War
soldiers, sailors, and airmen, whom he would visit prior to their departure for north-east Asia.
While the Viscount travelled abroad on official trips in 1947 visiting US president
Harry S. Truman
and in June 1948 Brazilian president
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
as well as hosting a number of dignitaries, the Alexanders led a relatively informal lifestyle at Rideau Hall
. For the visit of Princess Elizabeth
and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh
, who toured Canada in 1951, less than two years before the Princess acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II, the Viscount and Viscountess hosted a square dance
in the palace's ballroom. Alexander painted creating a personal studio in the former dairy at Rideau Hall and mounting classes in art at the National Gallery of Canada
partook in a number of sports, including golf
, ice hockey
, and rugby
, and enjoyed the outdoors particularly during Ontario
and Quebec
's maple syrup
harvest, himself overseeing the process on Rideau Hall's grounds. The Viscount was known to escape from official duties to partake in his most favourite pastime of fishing
, once departing from the 1951 royal tour of Princess Elizabeth to take in a day's fishing at Griffin Island, in Georgian Bay
, and granting a day off for students in the town of Drayton, Ontario
, where his train briefly stopped.
Amongst Canadians, Alexander proved to be a popular viceroy, despite the calls for a Canadian-born governor general that had preceded his appointment. Not only did he have a much praised military reputation he was considered to be the best military strategist since the Duke of Wellington
but he was also a charismatic figure with an easy ability to communicate with people. Others, however, did not fully approve of Alexander; editor Hugh Templin, from Fergus, Ontario
, met with Alexander during Templin's time as a special correspondent with the Canadian Press
during the Second World War, and he said of the encounter: "Lord Alexander impressed us considerably, if not too favourably. He was an aristocratic type, who didn't like newspaper men."
in the British government, as the ageing Churchill had found it increasingly difficult to cope with holding that portfolio concurrently with that of prime minister. Soon after, George VI died on the night of 5–6 February, and Alexander, in respect of the King's mourning, departed quietly for the United Kingdom, leaving Chief Justice of Canada
Thibaudeau Rinfret
as administrator of the government in his place. After his return to the UK, Alexander was on 14 March 1952 elevated in the peerage by the new queen, becoming Earl Alexander of Tunis
, Baron Rideau of Ottawa and Castle Derg. He was also appointed to the organising committee for the Queen's coronation
and was charged with carrying the Sovereign's Orb
in the state procession on that occasion in 1953.
.
Canada remained a favourite second home for the Alexanders, and they returned frequently to visit family and friends until Alexander died on 16 June 1969 of a perforated aorta. His funeral was held on 24 June 1969 at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle
, and his remains are buried in the churchyard of Ridge
, near Tyttenhanger, his family's Hertfordshire
home.
United Kingdom United Kingdom
Canada Canada
Alexander's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
: His Excellency Field Marshal the Right Honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, Viscount Alexander of Tunis and Errigal, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur, Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov, Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I, Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, Field Marshal of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and in French
: Son Excellence le très honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, vicomte Alexander de Tunis et Errigal, chevalier de le nobilissime ordre de la Jarretière, chevalier grand-croix de le très honorable ordre du Bain, compagnon de l'ordre très exalté de l'Etoile de l'Inde, chevalier grand-croix de le très distingué ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-George, compagnon de l'ordre du service distingué, légionnaire cinquieme classe de le Légion d'honneur, membre deuxieme classe avec épées de l'ordre de Sainte-Anne, membre premier classe de l'ordre de Souvorov, membre grand-croix de l'ordre royale du George I, membre cinqiemme classe de l'ordre militaire de Virtuti Militari, gouverneur générale et commandant en chef du Canada, Field-Marshal de la milice du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Norde.
In his post-viceregal life, Alexander's style and title was: Field Marshal the Right Honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, Earl Alexander of Tunis, Baron Rideau of Ottawa and Castle Derg, Viscount Alexander of Tunis and Errigal, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Member of the Order of Merit, Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur, Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov, Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I, Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari, Field Marshal of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Alexander's post-nominal letters
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: KG, PC (UK), GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, CD, PC (Can), LLD(hc) Harv, LLD(hc) Prin
Appointments 7 February 1936 16 June 1969: Companion of the Order of the Star of India
(CSI) 1938 1 January 1942: Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
(CB)
Decorations 14 January 1916: Military Cross
(MC) 20 October 1916: Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) 7 June 1951: Canadian Forces Decoration
(CD)
Medals 1919: 1914-15 Star
1919: British War Medal
1919: Victory Medal
1926: Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
1935: King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
1936: India General Service Medal
1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
1945: 1939–45 Star 1945: Burma Star
1945: Italy Star
1945: Africa Star
1945: War Medal 1939–1945
1953: Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Awards 4 January 1917: Mentioned in Despatches 27 December 1918: Mentioned in Despatches 8 July 1919: Mentioned in Despatches 3 February 1920: Mentioned in Despatches 7 February 1936: Mentioned in Despatches 8 May 1936: Mentioned in Despatches 20 December 1940: Mentioned in Despatches 28 October 1942: Mentioned in Despatches: Augmentation of honour
Foreign honours and decorations 20 October 1916 16 June 1969: Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur
10 August 1943: Chief Commanders of Legion of Merit
: Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna
29 February 1944 16 June 1969: Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov
20 June 1944 16 June 1969: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I
5 December 1944 16 June 1969: Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari
2 August 1945: Distinguished Service Medal
20 July 19442 August 1946: Aide-de-Camp General
to His Majesty the King (ADC General) 12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Horse Guards
12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
28 August 194616 June 1969: Colonel of the Irish Guards
10 November 1949 n/a: Colonel of the Royal Ulster Rifles
(London Irish Rifles) 10 July 1951 n/a: Colonel of the Oxford University Contingent of the University Training Corps
, Doctor of Laws (LLD): Princeton University
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
: Viscount Alexander Public School, Ottawa
|-
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military commander and field marshal
Field Marshal (UK)
Field Marshal is the highest military rank of the British Army. It ranks immediately above the rank of General and is the Army equivalent of an Admiral of the Fleet and a Marshal of the Royal Air Force....
of Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the 17th since Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
.
Alexander was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to parents of noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
heritage, and was educated at English public schools
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
before moving on to Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
for training as an army officer. He rose to prominence through his service in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, receiving numerous honours and decorations, and continued his military career through various British campaigns across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Alexander acted as a high ranking commander in North Africa and Italy. He commanded 15th Army Group in Sicily and again in Italy before being made Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean. He was in 1946 appointed as governor general by George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, king of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, to replace the Earl of Athlone
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
as viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, and he occupied the post until succeeded by Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
in 1952. Alexander proved to be enthusiastic about the Canadian wilderness, as well as a popular governor general with the Canadian people, and he would be the last non-Canadian-born governor general before the appointment of Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
in 1999.
After the end of his viceregal tenure, Alexander was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
and thereafter, in order to serve as the British Minister of Defence in the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, into the Queen's British Privy Council. Alexander retired in 1954 and died in 1969.
Early life
Alexander was born in London, the third son of the EarlJames Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon
James Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon KP, DL was a soldier and politician and the son of James Du Pre Alexander, 3rd Earl of Caledon and Lady Jane Grimston, styled Viscount Alexander until 1855....
and Countess of Caledon, the latter being a daughter of the Earl of Norbury
Earl of Norbury
Earl of Norbury, in the County of Tipperary, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1827, along with the title Viscount Glandine, of Glandine in the King's County, for the Irish politician and judge John Toler, 1st Baron Norbury upon his retirement as Chief Justice of the Common...
. Alexander was educated at Hawtreys
Hawtreys
Hawtreys Preparatory School was an independent boys' preparatory school, first established in Slough, later moved to Westgate-on-Sea, then to Oswestry, and finally to a country house near Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire...
and Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, there participating as the 11th batsman in the notorious Fowler's Match
Fowler's match
Fowler's match is the name given to the two-day Eton v Harrow cricket match held at Lord's on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 July 1910. The match is named after the captain of Eton College, Robert St Leger Fowler, whose outstanding all round batting and bowling performance allowed Eton to win the match...
against Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
in 1910. Though Alexander toyed with the notion of becoming an artist, he went instead on to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
World War I
From Sandhurst, Alexander was in September 1911 commissioned as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
, which, when the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
erupted only three years later, formed part of the original British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Alexander was by then a 22-year-old lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
(having been promoted in December 1912) and platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
commander, until February 1915, when he was promoted to the rank of captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
, and, in February 1917, to major. However, during certain periods, Alexander acted in higher ranking capacities, notably for three months in 1917 when he was an acting lieutenant-colonel while still only a substantive captain, as well as for nearly all the time between November 1917 and the end of the war, when he acted in the same rank in command of a battalion. He briefly had to assume command of his brigade during the British retreat of March 1918, after which Alexander was further charged with the command of a corps infantry school as an acting lieutenant-colonel in October of the same year.
During his service 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...
, Alexander was wounded twice in four years of fighting. For his bravery and sacrifice, he received in January 1916 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....
, and in October of the same year was appointed to 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...
, the citation for which read: "For conspicuous gallantry in action. He was the life and soul of the attack, and throughout the day led forward not only his own men but men of all regiments. He held the trenches gained in spite of heavy machine gun fire." In the same month Alexander was also inducted into the French Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, who wrote a history of the Irish Guards, in which his own son fought and was killed, noted that, "it is undeniable that Colonel Alexander had the gift of handling the men on the lines to which they most readily responded... His subordinates loved him, even when he fell upon them blisteringly for their shortcomings; and his men were all his own."
The inter-war years
In 1919 and 1920, as a temporary lieutenant-colonel, Alexander led the Baltic German LandeswehrBaltische Landeswehr
Baltische Landeswehr was the name of the unified armed forces of the Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.- Command structure :...
in the Latvian War of Independence, commanding units loyal to the Republic of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in the successful drive to eject the Bolsheviks
Iskolat
The Iskolat |Soviet]] of Workers, Soldiers, and the Landless in Latvia, Исполнительный комитет Совета рабочих, солдатских и безземельных депутатов Латвии) was established in Riga on July 29 – 30, 1917, O.S...
from Latgalia. After later serving in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, in 1922 Alexander's temporary rank was made substantive when he was appointed to command the 1st battalion of his regiment, and in January 1926 he was released from that role to attend Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
. Alexander was then in February 1928 promoted to colonel, and was the next month appointed as commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Irish Guards and its regimental district
Military district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
, a post he held until January 1930, when he again returned to study, attending the Imperial Defence College for one year. There, two of Alexander's instructors the future field marshals Alan Brooke and Bernard Montgomery were unimpressed by him.
After the completion of his courses, Alexander, on 14 October 1931, married Lady Margaret Bingham
Margaret Alexander, Countess Alexander of Tunis
Margaret Alexander, Countess Alexander of Tunis GBE, DStJ , born Lady Margaret Bingham, was a daughter of George Bingham, Lord Bingham . On 14 October 1931, she married Hon. Harold Alexander and they had four children....
, the daughter of the Earl of Lucan
George Bingham, 5th Earl of Lucan
Colonel George Charles Bingham, 5th Earl of Lucan GCVO, KBE, CB, PC, TD, DL , known as Lord Bingham from 1888 to 1914, was a British Conservative politician....
and with whom Alexander had two sons Shane
Shane Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis
Shane William Desmond Alexander, 2nd Earl Alexander of Tunis , known as Lord Rideau from 1952 to 1969, is a British peer of Anglo-Irish descent....
, born 1935, and Brian, born 1939 and a daughter, as well as adopting another daughter during his time as Canada's governor general. Alexander then held staff appointments as GSO2 and GSO1 before being made in October 1934 a temporary brigadier and given command of the Nowshera Brigade, on the Northwest Frontier
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
in India. For his service there, and in particular for his actions in the Loe-Agra operations between February and April 1935, Alexander was that year made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
and was mentioned in despatches. He was mentioned once more for his service during operations in Mohamad Province during August and October of the same year.
In March 1937, Alexander was appointed as one of the aides-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the recently acceded King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and in May returned to the United Kingdom to take part in this capacity in the state procession through London during the King's coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
. Alexander would have been seen in this event by two of his Canadian viceregal successors: Vincent Massey
Vincent Massey
Charles Vincent Massey was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Canadian Confederation....
, who was then the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Massey's secretary, Georges Vanier
Georges Vanier
Major-General Georges-Philéas Vanier was a Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 19th since Canadian Confederation....
, who watched the procession from the roof of Canada House
Canada House
The High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom in London is the diplomatic mission from Canada to the United Kingdom. It is housed in two buildings in London.-History:...
on Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. Following the coronation celebration, Alexander returned to India, where he was made the honorary colonel of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment
2nd Punjab Regiment
The 2nd Punjab Regiment was a British Indian Army regiment from 1922 to the partition of India in 1947.The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of other regiments:*1st Battalion, from the 67th Punjabis, formerly the 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry...
, and then in October 1937 was promoted to the rank of major-general, making Alexander the youngest general in the 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...
. He relinquished command of his brigade in January 1938, and in February returned to the United Kingdom to take command of the 1st Infantry Division.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in September 1939, Alexander brought the 1st Infantry Division to 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...
, where, in late May 1940, he successfully led the division's withdrawal 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...
. Shortly after Bernard Montgomery had been appointed to command II Corps, Alexander was, while still on the beachhead, placed in command of I Corps, and left the beach on 3 June after ensuring that all British troops had been evacuated. In recognition of his services in the field from March to June 1940, Alexander was again mentioned in despatches.
Having been confirmed as a lieutenant-general in July 1940, Alexander returned to the UK to be made the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the 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....
, which was responsible for the defence of south-west England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On 1 January 1942 he was knighted and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
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...
, and in February, after the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese invasion of Burma
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
, was sent to India to become GOC-in-C Burma as a full general
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....
. While he commanded what would later be the Fourteenth Army, Alexander left the tactical conduct of the campaign to his corps commander, Bill Slim, while Alexander himself handled the more political aspects of relations with Joe Stillwell, the nominal commander of the Chinese forces.
By July 1942, the British and Indian forces in Burma had completed their fighting retreat back into India, and Alexander, having yet again been mentioned in despatches for his Burma service, was recalled to the United Kingdom. He was at first selected to command the First Army, which was to take part in Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of North Africa. However, following a visit in early August to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
by British prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
, Alexander flew to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 8 August to replace Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
as the Commander-in-Chief of Middle East Command
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
, the post responsible for the overall conduct of the campaign in the desert
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
of North Africa. At the same time, Lieutenant-General 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...
replaced Auchinleck as the general officer commanding 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....
. Alexander presided over Montgomery's victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
and the advance of the Eighth Army to Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, for which Alexander was elevated to a knight grand cross of the Order of the Bath, and, after the Anglo-American forces from Operation Torch and the Eighth Army converged in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
in February 1943, they were brought under the unified command of a newly-formed 18th Army Group headquarters, commanded by Alexander and reporting to Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean at the Allied Forces Headquarters
Allied Forces Headquarters
Allied Force Headquarters was the headquarters that controlled all Allied operational forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II from late 1942 to the end of the war....
.
The Axis forces in Tunisia surrendered by May 1943, and Alexander's command became the 15th Army Group, which was, under Eisenhower, responsible for mounting in July the Allied 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...
, again seeing Alexander controlling two armies: Montgomery's Eighth Army and George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
's Seventh United States Army. After Sicily, and in preparation for the allied invasion of Italy, the Seventh Army headquarters were replaced by those of the Fifth United States Army, led by Mark Clark.
When Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander for the planned Normandy Landings he suggested that Alexander become ground forces commander, as he was popular with both British and US officers. Brooke, however, applied pressure to keep Alexander in Italy, considering him unfit for the assignment in France. Thus, Alexander remained in command of the 15th Army Group, and, with the support of numerous allied commanders, controversially authorised the bombing of the historic abbey at Cassino
Cassino
Cassino is a comune in the province of Frosinone, Italy, at the southern end of the region of Lazio.Cassino is located at the foot of Monte Cairo near the confluence of the Rapido and Liri rivers...
, which resulted in little advance on the German Winter Line
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
defences. It was not until the fourth attempt that the Winter Line was breached by the Allies, and Alexander's forces moved on to capture Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in June 1944, thereby achieving one of the strategic goals of the Italian campaign
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...
. However, US Fifth Army forces at Anzio
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
, under Clark's orders, failed to follow their original break-out plan that would have trapped the German forces escaping northwards in the aftermath of the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
, instead favouring an early and highly publicised entry into Rome two days before the Allied landings in Normandy.
Alexander remained in command of 15th Army Group, as well as its successor, the Allied Armies in Italy
Allied Armies in Italy
Allied Armies in Italy, commanded by Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of the Italian campaign...
, for most of the Italian Campaign, until December 1944, when he relinquished his command to Clark and took over as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Headquarters, responsible for all military operations in the Mediterranean Theatre. Alexander was concurrently promoted to the rank of field marshal, though this was backdated to the fall of Rome on 4 June 1944, so that Alexander would once again be senior to Montgomery, who had himself been made a field marshal on 1 September 1944, after the end of the Battle of Normandy. Alexander then received the German surrender in Italy, on 29 April 1945. Further, as a reward for his leadership in North Africa and Italy, Alexander, along with a number of other prominent British Second World War military leaders, was elevated to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
on 1 March 1946 by King George VI; he was created Viscount Alexander of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
and Errigal
Mount Errigal
Mount Errigal, or simply Errigal is a mountain near Gweedore in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland. It is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains, the tallest peak in County Donegal, and the 76th tallest peak in Ireland. Errigal is also the most southern, steepest and highest of the...
in the County of Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Of Alexander, Alan Brooke felt that he needed an able chief of staff "to think for him", while Montgomery (Alexander's subordinate in Africa and Italy) claimed to think of Alexander as "incompetent" and success was only attained in Tunisia only because Montgomery lent Brian Horrocks
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
to organise the coup de grace. However, Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
was impressed by Alexander's calm and style, conducting dinners in his mess like those at an Oxbridge high table, discussing architecture and the campaigns of Belisarius
Belisarius
Flavius Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously....
, rather than the current war. Macmillan thought Alexander's urbane manner and willingness to discuss and compromise were a sensible way to maintain inter-Allied cooperation, but Alexander's reserve was such that some thought him empty of strategic ideas and unable to make decisions. Mark Clark allegedly exploited Alexander's supposed inability to assert his will over his army commanders.
Governorship general
With the cessation of hostilities, Alexander was under serious consideration for appointment to the post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the British army's most senior position beneath the sovereign, but he was invited by Canadian prime ministerPrime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
to be his recommendation to the King for the post of Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. Alexander thus chose to retire from the army and take up the new position, and, in preparation for his viceregal posting, was on 26 January 1946 appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. It was then announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)
In Canada, the Office of the Prime Minister , located in the Langevin Block, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, is one of the most powerful parts of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and his or her top political staff, who are charged with advising the prime minister on decisions,...
on 21 March 1946 that George VI had, by commission under the royal sign-manual
Royal sign-manual
The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...
and signet, approved the recommendation of his prime minister, Mackenzie King, to appoint Alexander as his representative. Alexander was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on 12 April that year.
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
final, practised frequently on the grounds of the royal and viceroyal residence, Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
. Also, in commemoration of Alexander being named the first non-aboriginal chief of the Kwakiutl
Kwakiutl
The term Kwakiutl, historically applied to the entire Kwakwaka'wakw ethno-linguistic group of originally 28 tribes, comes from one of the Kwakwaka'wakw tribes, the Kwagu'ł or Kwagyeulth, at Fort Rupert, with whom Franz Boas did most of his anthropological work and whose Indian Act Band government...
tribe, he was gifted a totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
on 13 July 1946; crafted by Mungo Martin
Mungo Martin
Chief Mungo Martin or Nakapenkem , Datsa , was an important figure in Northwest Coast style art, specifically that of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples. He was a major contributor to Kwakwaka'wakw art, especially in the realm of wood sculpture and painting...
, it remains on the grounds of Rideau Hall today. By the end of the year, Alexander was also distinguished with his induction as a Knight of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
.
In 1947, the King issued letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
granting his Canadian governor general permission to exercise all those powers belonging to the monarch in respect of Canada, and, at the Imperial Conference of 1949, the decision was reached to use the term member of the Commonwealth instead of Dominion to refer to the non-British member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. That same year, Alexander oversaw the admission of the British crown colony of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
into Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
and toured the new province that summer. Then, during a later visit to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, the Governor General was admitted to the Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
tribe as Chief Eagle Head. However, though the post-war period saw a boom in prosperity for Canada, the country was again at war by 1950, with Alexander, in his role as acting commander-in-chief, deploying to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
soldiers, sailors, and airmen, whom he would visit prior to their departure for north-east Asia.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and in June 1948 Brazilian president
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra
Eurico Gaspar Dutra , was a Brazilian marshal, politician and president of Brazil from 1946–1951.He was born in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, and like many other Brazilians, was from Azorean-Portuguese origin...
as well as hosting a number of dignitaries, the Alexanders led a relatively informal lifestyle at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
. For the visit of Princess Elizabeth
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, who toured Canada in 1951, less than two years before the Princess acceded to the throne as Queen Elizabeth II, the Viscount and Viscountess hosted a square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
in the palace's ballroom. Alexander painted creating a personal studio in the former dairy at Rideau Hall and mounting classes in art at the National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
partook in a number of sports, including golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, and enjoyed the outdoors particularly during Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
's maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
harvest, himself overseeing the process on Rideau Hall's grounds. The Viscount was known to escape from official duties to partake in his most favourite pastime of fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, once departing from the 1951 royal tour of Princess Elizabeth to take in a day's fishing at Griffin Island, in Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
, and granting a day off for students in the town of Drayton, Ontario
Drayton, Ontario
Drayton is a community in Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is a part of the township of Mapleton in North Wellington County. The village is on the corner of Wellington Road 8 and Wellington Road 11, geographically northwest of Fergus and southwest of Arthur.-Education:Drayton is in the Upper...
, where his train briefly stopped.
Amongst Canadians, Alexander proved to be a popular viceroy, despite the calls for a Canadian-born governor general that had preceded his appointment. Not only did he have a much praised military reputation he was considered to be the best military strategist since the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
but he was also a charismatic figure with an easy ability to communicate with people. Others, however, did not fully approve of Alexander; editor Hugh Templin, from Fergus, Ontario
Fergus, Ontario
Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 25 km north of Guelph.-History:...
, met with Alexander during Templin's time as a special correspondent with the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
during the Second World War, and he said of the encounter: "Lord Alexander impressed us considerably, if not too favourably. He was an aristocratic type, who didn't like newspaper men."
British minister of defence
Alexander departed the office of Governor General of Canada in early 1952, after Churchill asked him to return to London to take the post of Minister of DefenceMinister of Defence (UK)
The post of Minister of Defence was responsible for co-ordination of defence and security from its creation in 1940 until its abolition in 1964. The post was a Cabinet level post and generally ranked above the three service ministers, some of whom, however, continued to also serve in...
in the British government, as the ageing Churchill had found it increasingly difficult to cope with holding that portfolio concurrently with that of prime minister. Soon after, George VI died on the night of 5–6 February, and Alexander, in respect of the King's mourning, departed quietly for the United Kingdom, leaving Chief Justice of Canada
Chief Justice of Canada
The Chief Justice of Canada, like the eight puisne Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, is appointed by the Governor-in-Council . All nine are chosen from either sitting judges or barristers who have at least ten years' standing at the bar of a province or territory...
Thibaudeau Rinfret
Thibaudeau Rinfret
Thibaudeau Rinfret, PC was a Canadian jurist and Chief Justice of Canada and acting Governor General of Canada in 1952.-Personal life:...
as administrator of the government in his place. After his return to the UK, Alexander was on 14 March 1952 elevated in the peerage by the new queen, becoming Earl Alexander of Tunis
Earl Alexander of Tunis
Earl Alexander of Tunis is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 14 March 1952 for the prominent military commander Field Marshal Harold Alexander, 1st Viscount Alexander of Tunis...
, Baron Rideau of Ottawa and Castle Derg. He was also appointed to the organising committee for the Queen's coronation
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
and was charged with carrying the Sovereign's Orb
Sovereign's Orb
The Sovereign's Orb is a type of regalia known as a globus cruciger and is one of the British Crown Jewels.- History :It was created for the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 along with the Sceptre with the Cross and Ampulla....
in the state procession on that occasion in 1953.
Retirement
The Earl served as the British defence minister until 1954, when he retired from politics and, in 1959, the Queen appointed Alexander to the Order of MeritOrder of Merit
The Order of Merit is a British dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture...
.
Canada remained a favourite second home for the Alexanders, and they returned frequently to visit family and friends until Alexander died on 16 June 1969 of a perforated aorta. His funeral was held on 24 June 1969 at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, and his remains are buried in the churchyard of Ridge
Ridge, Hertfordshire
Ridge is a village and civil parish in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, situated between Potters Bar and Shenley. It has a small church, St Margaret's and a small playground. There is a public house called the Old Guinea which serves food on most days. The village also holds a fete day on...
, near Tyttenhanger, his family's Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
home.
Titles
United Kingdom United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- 10 December 1891 September 1911: The Honourable Harold Alexander
- September 1911 February 1915: Lieutenant the Honourable Harold Alexander
- February 1915 February 1917: Captain the Honourable Harold Alexander
- February 1917 1928: Major the Honourable Harold Alexander
- 1928 October 1937: Colonel the Honourable Harold Alexander
- October 1937 July 1940: Major-General the Honourable Harold Alexander
- July 1940 1 January 1942: Lieutenant-General the Honourable Harold Alexander
- 1 January 1942 12 December 1944: General the Honourable Sir Harold Alexander
- 12 December 1944 1 March 1946: Field Marshal the Honourable Sir Harold Alexander
- 1 March 1946 14 March 1952: Field Marshal the Right Honourable the Viscount Alexander of Tunis
- 14 March 1952 16 June 1969: Field Marshal the Right Honourable the Earl Alexander of Tunis
Canada CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- 12 April 1946 1 October 1947: His Excellency Field Marshal the Right Honourable the Viscount Alexander of Tunis, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada
- 1 October 1947 28 February 1952: His Excellency Field Marshal the Right Honourable the Viscount Alexander of Tunis, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada
Alexander's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: His Excellency Field Marshal the Right Honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, Viscount Alexander of Tunis and Errigal, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur, Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov, Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I, Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, Field Marshal of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Son Excellence le très honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, vicomte Alexander de Tunis et Errigal, chevalier de le nobilissime ordre de la Jarretière, chevalier grand-croix de le très honorable ordre du Bain, compagnon de l'ordre très exalté de l'Etoile de l'Inde, chevalier grand-croix de le très distingué ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-George, compagnon de l'ordre du service distingué, légionnaire cinquieme classe de le Légion d'honneur, membre deuxieme classe avec épées de l'ordre de Sainte-Anne, membre premier classe de l'ordre de Souvorov, membre grand-croix de l'ordre royale du George I, membre cinqiemme classe de l'ordre militaire de Virtuti Militari, gouverneur générale et commandant en chef du Canada, Field-Marshal de la milice du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Norde.
In his post-viceregal life, Alexander's style and title was: Field Marshal the Right Honourable Sir Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, Earl Alexander of Tunis, Baron Rideau of Ottawa and Castle Derg, Viscount Alexander of Tunis and Errigal, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Member of the Order of Merit, Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur, Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov, Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I, Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari, Field Marshal of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Alexander's post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: KG, PC (UK), GCB, OM, GCMG, CSI, DSO, MC, CD, PC (Can), LLD(hc) Harv, LLD(hc) Prin
Honours
| Ribbon bars of the Earl Alexander of Tunis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Appointments 7 February 1936 16 June 1969: Companion of the Order of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(CSI) 1938 1 January 1942: Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
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...
(CB)
-
- 1 January 1942 11 November 1942: Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (KCB)
- 11 November 1942 16 June 1969: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) 1 January 1946 16 June 1969: Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of JerusalemVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(KStJ) 16 September 1946 28 February 1952: Knight of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ) 20 January 1946 25 March 1960: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint GeorgeOrder of St Michael and St GeorgeThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(GCMG) - 25 March 1960 12 October 1967: Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George 12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Chief Scout of Canada 1946 16 June 1969: Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada ClubRoyal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
13 July 1946 16 June 1969: Honorary Chief of the Kwakiutl TribeKwakiutlThe term Kwakiutl, historically applied to the entire Kwakwaka'wakw ethno-linguistic group of originally 28 tribes, comes from one of the Kwakwaka'wakw tribes, the Kwagu'ł or Kwagyeulth, at Fort Rupert, with whom Franz Boas did most of his anthropological work and whose Indian Act Band government...
3 December 1946 16 June 1969: Knight of the Most Noble Order of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(KG) 1950 16 June 1969: Chief of the Blackfoot TribeBlackfootThe Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
29 January 1952 16 June 1969: Member of the King's Privy Council for CanadaQueen's Privy Council for CanadaThe Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(PC) 1952 16 June 1969: Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (PC) 17 May 1957 1 April 1965: Lord Lieutenant of the County of LondonLord Lieutenant of the County of LondonThis is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of the County of London.The post was created in 1889, absorbing the duties of the Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets, and abolished in 1965, when it was merged with that of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex to become the Lord Lieutenant of...
1 April 1965 28 December 1966: Lord Lieutenant of Greater LondonLord Lieutenant of Greater LondonThe Lord Lieutenant of Greater London is Her Majesty's representative in Greater London, including the 32 London boroughs.This is a complete list of Lord Lieutenants of Greater London in the United Kingdom....
1960 1965: Constable of the Tower of LondonConstable of the TowerThe Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the middle ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner - the king or a nobleman - was not in residence...
1 January 1959 16 June 1969: Member of the Order of MeritOrder of MeritThe Order of Merit is a British dynastic order recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture...
(OM)
Decorations 14 January 1916: 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....
(MC) 20 October 1916: Companion of 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...
(DSO) 7 June 1951: Canadian Forces Decoration
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(CD)
Medals 1919: 1914-15 Star
1914-15 Star
The 1914-15 Star was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The 1914-15 Star was approved in 1918, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 .Recipients of this medal also...
1919: British War Medal
British War Medal
The British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
1919: Victory Medal
Victory Medal (United Kingdom)
The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
1926: Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
The Long Service & Good Conduct Medal is a medal awarded by the British Government to members of the British Armed Forces who have completed 15 years of reckonable service.-British Army:...
1935: King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
1936: India General Service Medal
India General Service Medal (1936)
The Indian General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved on 3 August 1938, for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies....
1937: King George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
1945: 1939–45 Star 1945: Burma Star
Burma Star
The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...
1945: Italy Star
Italy Star
The Italy Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for operational service in Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Pantelleria, the Aegean area and Dodecanese Islands, and Elba at any time between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945...
1945: Africa Star
Africa Star
The Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War.The Star was awarded for a minimum of one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943...
1945: War Medal 1939–1945
War Medal 1939–1945
The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea...
1953: Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
Awards 4 January 1917: Mentioned in Despatches 27 December 1918: Mentioned in Despatches 8 July 1919: Mentioned in Despatches 3 February 1920: Mentioned in Despatches 7 February 1936: Mentioned in Despatches 8 May 1936: Mentioned in Despatches 20 December 1940: Mentioned in Despatches 28 October 1942: Mentioned in Despatches: Augmentation of honour
Augmentation of Honour
In heraldry, an augmentation is a modification or addition to a coat of arms, typically given by a monarch as either a mere mark of favour, or a reward or recognition for some meritorious act...
Foreign honours and decorations 20 October 1916 16 June 1969: Legionnaire Fifth Class of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
10 August 1943: Chief Commanders of Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
: Member Second Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna
Order of St. Anna
The Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
29 February 1944 16 June 1969: Member First Class of the Order of Suvorov
Order of Suvorov
The Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...
20 June 1944 16 June 1969: Member Grand Cross of the Royal Order of George I
Order of George I
The Royal Order of George I is a defunct order of Greece.- History :The order was founded in 1915 by King Constantine I in honor of his father, George I. It was only the second Greek order to be created after the Order of the Redeemer in 1833, and remained the second senior award of the Greek...
5 December 1944 16 June 1969: Member Fifth Class of the Order Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
2 August 1945: Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (Army)
The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...
Honorary military appointments
7 March 1936 19 November 1937: Aide-de-Camp to His Majesty the King (ADC) 2 July 1937 14 August 1947: Colonel of the 3rd Battalion 2nd Punjab Regiment2nd Punjab Regiment
The 2nd Punjab Regiment was a British Indian Army regiment from 1922 to the partition of India in 1947.The regiment was formed by the amalgamation of other regiments:*1st Battalion, from the 67th Punjabis, formerly the 7th Regiment of Madras Native Infantry...
20 July 19442 August 1946: Aide-de-Camp General
Aide-de-Camp General
One of the several categories of aides de camp to the Monarch in the United Kingdom is styled Aide de Camp General.These are honorary appointments for senior British Army generals, first made in 1910. There were originally four, but the number was reduced to three in 1988...
to His Majesty the King (ADC General) 12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
Governor General's Foot Guards
The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household regiments in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia infantry regiment in Canada."Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is...
12 April 1946 28 February 1952: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards is the second most senior and oldest infantry regiment in the Reserve Force of the Canadian Forces. Located in Montreal, its primary role is the provision of combat-ready troops in support of Canadian regular infantry...
28 August 194616 June 1969: Colonel of the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
10 November 1949 n/a: Colonel of the Royal Ulster Rifles
Royal Ulster Rifles
The Royal Ulster Rifles was a British Army infantry regiment. It saw service in the Second Boer War, Great War, the Second World War and the Korean War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.-History:...
(London Irish Rifles) 10 July 1951 n/a: Colonel of the Oxford University Contingent of the University Training Corps
Honorary degrees
: Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD): Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Honorific eponyms
Schools: École Viscount Alexander, WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
: Viscount Alexander Public School, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
See also
- List of World War I battles
- List of World War II battles
- Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres of World War II
External links
- Website of the Governor General of Canada entry for Harold Alexander
- The Canadian Encyclopedia entry for Harold Alexander
|-