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John Mogg (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Herbert John Mogg GCB
CBE
DSO
& Bar
(17 February 1913 – 28 October 2001) was a senior British Army
officer who also held the NATO position of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR).
He has been described as a popular and affable man. The Guardian newspaper, in his obituary, sums up his personality and how it influenced what he, and those he worked with, accomplished in his career :
"John Mogg's large frame was combined with an exceptionally genial, warm and sympathetic character, which appealed not only to soldiers of all ranks, but to people in every walk of life, whatever their nationality. In his time, he was probably the British army's most popular general, and finished his career in one of Nato's most influential posts, as deputy supreme allied commander (1973-76) at headquarters at Mons, in Belgium. Here, his sound commonsense and even temperament were valuable in balancing the direct approach, and sometimes abrasive personality, of the supreme commander, the US General Alexander Haig
."
, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. At Malvern, he paid more attention to cricket than to his studies, with the result that, instead of taking the entrance exam for Sandhurst, he chose the alternative route of a Y-cadetship in the Coldstream Guards
. After three years in the ranks, he was selected for Sandhurst, where he gained the sword of honour
in 1936, being commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
in August 1937. He was a distinguished commander of the 9th battalion Durham Light Infantry
from the Invasion of Normandy to the defeat of Germany
. Mogg commanded the 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment between 1950 and 1952. He was later a brigade commander in the Malayan Emergency
before becoming Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1963 and Commander of I Corps in Germany
in 1966. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
Southern Command
in 1968, General Officer Commanding, Army Strategic Command (n.k.a. Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces) later that year and, finally, Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1970. With NATO, he was DSACEUR between 1973 and 1976.
He was ADC General to the Queen from 1971 to 1974, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Green Jackets
from 1965 to 1973 and Commandant of the Army Air Corps from 1963 to 1974.
He was interested in many sports including boxing
, cricket
and equestrianism
and promoted these inside the army, as well as more generally. Mogg was a president of a number of sports, army and veteran's associations.
He served various charities, mostly connected with the armed services, or adventure training.
He was made Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in 1979.
There is a school in Detmold
, Germany, for children in pre-school and years 1-6 whose parents are serving in the British Army, that is named after Sir John Mogg. The school was opened on 10 February 1971 by him.
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Herbert John Mogg GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(17 February 1913 – 28 October 2001) was a senior 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...
officer who also held the NATO position of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR).
He has been described as a popular and affable man. The Guardian newspaper, in his obituary, sums up his personality and how it influenced what he, and those he worked with, accomplished in his career :
"John Mogg's large frame was combined with an exceptionally genial, warm and sympathetic character, which appealed not only to soldiers of all ranks, but to people in every walk of life, whatever their nationality. In his time, he was probably the British army's most popular general, and finished his career in one of Nato's most influential posts, as deputy supreme allied commander (1973-76) at headquarters at Mons, in Belgium. Here, his sound commonsense and even temperament were valuable in balancing the direct approach, and sometimes abrasive personality, of the supreme commander, the US General Alexander Haig
Alexander Haig
Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. was a United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
."
Army career
He was educated at Malvern CollegeMalvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. At Malvern, he paid more attention to cricket than to his studies, with the result that, instead of taking the entrance exam for Sandhurst, he chose the alternative route of a Y-cadetship in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. After three years in the ranks, he was selected for Sandhurst, where he gained the sword of honour
Sword of Honour
The Sword of Honour trilogy by Evelyn Waugh is his look at the Second World War. It consists of three novels, Men at Arms , Officers and Gentlemen and Unconditional Surrender , which loosely parallel his wartime experiences...
in 1936, being commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
in August 1937. He was a distinguished commander of the 9th battalion Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
from the Invasion of Normandy to the defeat of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Mogg commanded the 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment between 1950 and 1952. He was later a brigade commander in the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
before becoming Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1963 and Commander of I Corps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1966. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
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....
in 1968, General Officer Commanding, Army Strategic Command (n.k.a. Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces) later that year and, finally, Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1970. With NATO, he was DSACEUR between 1973 and 1976.
He was ADC General to the Queen from 1971 to 1974, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Green Jackets
Royal Green Jackets
The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army, one of two "large regiments" within the Light Division .-History:...
from 1965 to 1973 and Commandant of the Army Air Corps from 1963 to 1974.
He was interested in many sports including boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and equestrianism
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
and promoted these inside the army, as well as more generally. Mogg was a president of a number of sports, army and veteran's associations.
He served various charities, mostly connected with the armed services, or adventure training.
He was made Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in 1979.
There is a school in Detmold
Detmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
, Germany, for children in pre-school and years 1-6 whose parents are serving in the British Army, that is named after Sir John Mogg. The school was opened on 10 February 1971 by him.