Allied Commanders of World War Two/Wavell & Alexander
"Archibald Wavell"
Wavell was born in southeastern England (Essex*) and attended Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in southern England. Wavell fought in the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902) in southern Africa,** and he then served in India before involvement in World War I, where he was wounded and lost an eye. Postwar he was sent to Palestine and put in charge of British Middle East Forces against the Italian invasion of Egypt in 1940. A highly successful British counteroffensive against Mussolini's army destroyed much of the Italian force in Egypt and eastern Libya, but Wavell had to shift some Commonwealth forces and supplies to help Greece against an Italian invasion, launched by Mussolini in the fall of 1940. Hitler, alarmed by the Italian collapse in North Africa, sent General Erwin Rommel with German tanks and troops to stave off the loss of North Africa. Rommel, not content to just hold the line, launched his own offensive against the tired and depleted Commonwealth forces, driving them back in a stunning reversal. Not only did Wavell have to combat German and Italian forces in North Africa, but he was also forced to deal with military events in the Middle East, far to the rear of his front line command. He was forced to put down an attempted pro-Axis takeover of Iraq and then to fight Vichy French forces in Syria and Lebanon. All the distractions only helped Rommel. Churchill chose to relieve Wavell of his Middle East post in mid 1941 and the general was then sent to India. India was not a safe haven, as it wasn't long before the Japanese launched major operations throughout southern areas of Asia and the Pacific, including the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. British and Commonwealth forces were woefully inadequate to defend the area, and Japanese forces advanced through southeast Asia and captured the fortress of Singapore. Wavell's forces withdrew to India, but launched a counteroffensive, and although it achieved initial success, it eventually had to be broken off. By mid 1943, Churchill replaced Wavell as commander, but kept him on as Viceroy of India. This was an important position, as India, which included modern Pakistan and Bangladesh in those times, was moving towards independence from Britain. When the war ended, religious violence between Hindus and Muslims had parts of India in flames, and Wavell was replaced by Lord Mountbatten. Wavell returned to England where he died in May 1950.
"Harold Alexander"
Alexander was born into a noble family in London and he attended Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in southern England. Alexander was twice wounded in World War I, and he was given high marks by his superiors. The future field marshal served as a divisional commander in France in 1940 and evacuated with his unit from Dunkirk after the German breakthrough. He was sent to India to help organize defensive measures against the Japanese. Alexander was appointed British Commander-in-Chief Middle East in August 1942, making him newly appointed British 8th Army commander Bernhard Montgomery's superior. In 1943 Alexander became Army Group Commander for North Africa, reporting to General Eisenhower; and then with the same basic set-up for operations in Sicily and Italy. Made Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean and promoted to field marshal in 1944. More composed and far less dramatic then either Montgomery or General Patton, both of whom served under his commands, Alexander was well liked by those who served with him, although Montgomery had a far less favorable opinion of him. After the war he became Governor-General of Canada for the King, and then he became Minister of Defence*** in Churchill's government in the 1950s. Field Marshal Alexander died 1969.
* The County of Essex derives from Old English "East Seaxe" (also written as one word), which means, "East Saxons." The Saxons were one of the major Germanic tribes, from what is now modern northern Germany, who settled in Briton and helped found England. Their Germanic dialect was an essential part of the making of the English language.
** The Boer Wars were fought between the British and Dutch settlers in southern Africa. The Dutch dialects spoken in southern Africa dating back a couple of hundred years developed into what is now classified as a separate language, "Afrikaans." It is naturally very similar to Dutch, and it has many similarities to its other Germanic relatives, especially Frisian, German and English.
*** The American English spelling is "defense."
WORD HISTORY:
Many-This common word goes back to Indo European "monogho," with the notion of "much, many, often." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "managaz," which in turn gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "manig/monig," depending upon dialect. The ending "ig" sound eventually modified to "y." The pronunciation of the base also changed (during the 1200s) as if spelled "meny," although in the related compound "manifold," the original pronunciation remains intact. Common in the other Germanic languages, although I could not find a modern form in Icelandic: German has "manch" and "mannig" (the latter used in compounds, it means "many/multi"); Low German has "männig" and "mannig;" West Frisian has "mannich;" Dutch has "menig;" Norwegian has "mang(e);" Swedish has "mången" and "många;" Danish has "mange."
Wavell was born in southeastern England (Essex*) and attended Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in southern England. Wavell fought in the 2nd Boer War (1899-1902) in southern Africa,** and he then served in India before involvement in World War I, where he was wounded and lost an eye. Postwar he was sent to Palestine and put in charge of British Middle East Forces against the Italian invasion of Egypt in 1940. A highly successful British counteroffensive against Mussolini's army destroyed much of the Italian force in Egypt and eastern Libya, but Wavell had to shift some Commonwealth forces and supplies to help Greece against an Italian invasion, launched by Mussolini in the fall of 1940. Hitler, alarmed by the Italian collapse in North Africa, sent General Erwin Rommel with German tanks and troops to stave off the loss of North Africa. Rommel, not content to just hold the line, launched his own offensive against the tired and depleted Commonwealth forces, driving them back in a stunning reversal. Not only did Wavell have to combat German and Italian forces in North Africa, but he was also forced to deal with military events in the Middle East, far to the rear of his front line command. He was forced to put down an attempted pro-Axis takeover of Iraq and then to fight Vichy French forces in Syria and Lebanon. All the distractions only helped Rommel. Churchill chose to relieve Wavell of his Middle East post in mid 1941 and the general was then sent to India. India was not a safe haven, as it wasn't long before the Japanese launched major operations throughout southern areas of Asia and the Pacific, including the attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor. British and Commonwealth forces were woefully inadequate to defend the area, and Japanese forces advanced through southeast Asia and captured the fortress of Singapore. Wavell's forces withdrew to India, but launched a counteroffensive, and although it achieved initial success, it eventually had to be broken off. By mid 1943, Churchill replaced Wavell as commander, but kept him on as Viceroy of India. This was an important position, as India, which included modern Pakistan and Bangladesh in those times, was moving towards independence from Britain. When the war ended, religious violence between Hindus and Muslims had parts of India in flames, and Wavell was replaced by Lord Mountbatten. Wavell returned to England where he died in May 1950.
"Harold Alexander"
Alexander was born into a noble family in London and he attended Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in southern England. Alexander was twice wounded in World War I, and he was given high marks by his superiors. The future field marshal served as a divisional commander in France in 1940 and evacuated with his unit from Dunkirk after the German breakthrough. He was sent to India to help organize defensive measures against the Japanese. Alexander was appointed British Commander-in-Chief Middle East in August 1942, making him newly appointed British 8th Army commander Bernhard Montgomery's superior. In 1943 Alexander became Army Group Commander for North Africa, reporting to General Eisenhower; and then with the same basic set-up for operations in Sicily and Italy. Made Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean and promoted to field marshal in 1944. More composed and far less dramatic then either Montgomery or General Patton, both of whom served under his commands, Alexander was well liked by those who served with him, although Montgomery had a far less favorable opinion of him. After the war he became Governor-General of Canada for the King, and then he became Minister of Defence*** in Churchill's government in the 1950s. Field Marshal Alexander died 1969.
* The County of Essex derives from Old English "East Seaxe" (also written as one word), which means, "East Saxons." The Saxons were one of the major Germanic tribes, from what is now modern northern Germany, who settled in Briton and helped found England. Their Germanic dialect was an essential part of the making of the English language.
** The Boer Wars were fought between the British and Dutch settlers in southern Africa. The Dutch dialects spoken in southern Africa dating back a couple of hundred years developed into what is now classified as a separate language, "Afrikaans." It is naturally very similar to Dutch, and it has many similarities to its other Germanic relatives, especially Frisian, German and English.
*** The American English spelling is "defense."
WORD HISTORY:
Many-This common word goes back to Indo European "monogho," with the notion of "much, many, often." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "managaz," which in turn gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "manig/monig," depending upon dialect. The ending "ig" sound eventually modified to "y." The pronunciation of the base also changed (during the 1200s) as if spelled "meny," although in the related compound "manifold," the original pronunciation remains intact. Common in the other Germanic languages, although I could not find a modern form in Icelandic: German has "manch" and "mannig" (the latter used in compounds, it means "many/multi"); Low German has "männig" and "mannig;" West Frisian has "mannich;" Dutch has "menig;" Norwegian has "mang(e);" Swedish has "mången" and "många;" Danish has "mange."
Labels: Archibald Wavell, Benito Mussolini, Britain, British Commonwealth, Egypt, English, etymology, Germanic languages, Harold Alexander, India, Libya, North Africa, World War Two
posted by Randy at 11:36 AM
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