The Rt Hon. The Viscount Alanbrooke
July 23, 1883(1883-07-23) – June 17, 1963 (aged 79)
General Sir Alan Brooke at his desk as CIGS, 1942
Place of birth	Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France
Place of death	Hartley Wintney, Hampshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1902–1946
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	School of Artillery (February 1929 - 1932) 8 Infantry Brigade (1934 - 1935) Mobile Division (1937) Anti-Aircraft Corps (1938) II Corps (1 September 1939 - 25 June 1940) C-in-C, Southern Command (26 June 1940 - 19 July 1940) C-in-C, Home Forces (20 July 1940 - 24 December 1941) CIGS (25 December 1941 - 25 Jun 1946)
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight of the Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Order of Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Order
Other work	Lord High Constable of England President of the Zoological Society of London (1950 - 1954) Vice-president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (23 July 1883 - 17 June 1963) was a British career soldier, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a commune of southwestern France, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département, of which it is a sous-préfecture This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Hartley Wintney is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Please see " Field Marshal " for other countries which use this rank Field Marshal is the highest military rank of the United Kingdom The Royal School of Artillery is the principal training establishment for Artillery Warfare in the British Army. The British II Corps was formed in both World War I and World War II. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. The Royal Victorian Order (RVO is a Dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry in the Commonwealth realms Created by Queen Victoria The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal The Zoological Society of London (sometimes known by the abbreviation ZSL) is a Learned society founded in London in April 1826 by Sir Thomas Stamford The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB) is a British Charitable organisation which works to promote conservation and protection For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. The Royal Victorian Order (RVO is a Dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry in the Commonwealth realms Created by Queen Victoria The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank As chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee he was the foremost military advisor to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior Military personnel in the British Armed Forces. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 He is regarded as one of the chief architects of the Allies' victory in 1945. One of his main contributions to Allied grand strategy was to delay the second front. In retirement he served as Lord High Constable of England during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II His war diaries have attracted attention for their criticism of Winston Churchill and Brooke's forthright views on other leading figures of the war. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874

Background and early life

He was born in 1883 at Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France, to a prominent Anglo-Irish family with a long military tradition. Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a commune of southwestern France, in the Hautes-Pyrénées département, of which it is a sous-préfecture This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. " Anglo-Irish " was a term used historically to describe a privileged Social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the He was the sixth son and ninth child of Sir Victor Brooke, 3rd Baronet, of Colebrooke, Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, and the former Alice Bellingham, second daughter of Sir Alan Bellingham, 3rd Baronet, of Castle Bellingham in County Louth. Sir Victor Alexander Brooke 3rd Baronet, ( 5 January 1843 &ndash 27 November 1891) was a British naturalist and Baronet Brookeborough is a Village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. County Fermanagh (fɚr'mænɘ Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach'in Irish) is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern There have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Bellingham, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and County Louth (Contae Lú is a County on the East coast of Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland.

Alan Brooke was educated in France where he lived until the age of 16, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. The Royal Military Academy ( RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army Military academy for the training of Commissioned He left the Academy as a Gentleman Cadet on 24 December 1902 to join the Royal Regiment of Artillery as a Second Lieutenant. Officer Cadet is a rank held by military Cadets during their training to become Commissioned officers The term Officer Trainee is used interchangeably Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, is generally known as the Royal Artillery and is nicknamed the Gunners. Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. ^[1] Thanks to his upbringing in France he was a fluent French speaker. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people During World War I he served with the Royal Artillery in France, ending the conflict as a Lieutenant-Colonel and with a reputation as an outstanding planner of operations. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Royal Artillery, is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, is an Arm of the British Army. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies Between the wars he was a lecturer at the Staff College, Camberley and the Imperial Defence College, where Brooke knew most of those who became leading British commanders of the Second World War. Lecturer is a term of Academic rank. In the United Kingdom lecturer is the name given to University Teachers in their first permanent Staff College Camberley, Surrey, is a training college for the British Army. The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

World War II

Following the outbreak of World War II, Brooke commanded the II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force - which contained the 3rd Division, commanded by the then Major-General Bernard Montgomery, whose superior he thus was - and distinguished himself in the handling of the British forces in the retreat to Dunkirk. The British II Corps was formed in both World War I and World War II. The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF) was the British army sent to the Western Front in France and Belgium on the outbreak of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque, dœ̃kɛʀk or; Dutch:; is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the Shortly after the evacuation from Dunkirk he was again sent to France to take command of the remaining British troops in the country. The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British was the Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk Brooke soon realized that the situation was untenable and, in his first conversation with the prime minister Winston Churchill, he recommended that all British forces should be withdrawn from France, which they subsequently were. ^[2] In July 1940 he was appointed to command United Kingdom Home Forces to take charge of anti-invasion preparations, and in December 1941 was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS); he later also became chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, holding both posts until retirement from active service in 1946. British anti-invasion preparations of World War II entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilization in response to the threat of invasion Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior Military personnel in the British Armed Forces.

For most of the Second World War, Brooke was the foremost military adviser to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill (who was also Minister of Defence), the War Cabinet, and to Britain's allies. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 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. A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in time of war As CIGS, Brooke was the functional head of the Army, and as chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, which he dominated by force of intellect and personality, he took the leading military part in the overall strategic direction of the war effort. In 1942, Brooke joined the Western Allies' ultimate command, the US-British Combined Chiefs of Staff, in Washington D.C.

Brooke (on the left) and Churchill visit Montgomery's mobile headquarters in Normandy, 12 June 1944. The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS was the supreme military command for the Western Allies during World War II. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Alan Brooke's focus was primarily on the European theatre of operations. Here, one of his key issues was to keep a strong pressure on the Axis in North Africa and Italy, thereby opening up the Mediterranean for Allied shipping, and then, when the Allies were ready and the Germans sufficiently weakened, mount the cross channel invasion. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. ^[3] This strategy was essentially the one which was implemented, not always in initial agreement with the American allies whose strong commitment to an invasion of western Europe was in contrast to Brooke's and the British view on the importance of the Mediterranean operations. Not all of Brooke's plans were however ultimately met with success. For example he had great hope of bringing Turkey into the war on the Allied side, but this hope he admitted after the war remained a "wild dream". ^[4]

The post of CIGS was less rewarding than command in an important theatre of war, but the CIGS chose the generals who commanded those theatres and decided what men and munitions they should have. When it came to finding the right commanders he often complained that many officers who would have been good generals had been killed in World War I, and that this was one reason behind the difficulties the British had in the beginning of the war. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All However, he does not seem to have reflected on the fact that the Germans did not suffer from the same problem, which they must have had to the same extent. When General Claude Auchinleck was to be replaced as the commander of the Eighth Army in 1942, Brooke preferred Bernard Montgomery instead of Lieutenant-General William Gott, who was Churchill's candidate. Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (21 June 1884 &ndash 23 March 1981 nicknamed The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns It was a British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn Lieutenant-General William Henry Ewart "Strafer" Gott CB, CBE, DSO and bar, MC ( 13 August Soon thereafter Gott was killed in an air crash and Montgomery got the command. Brooke would later reflect upon the tragic event which led to the appointment of Montgomery as an intervention by God. ^[5] Earlier in 1942 Brooke had himself been offered the command of British forces in the Middle East, Brooke declined, believing he now knew better than any other general how to deal with Prime Minister Churchill, who too often seemed vulnerable to unwise advice from unqualified people. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. ^[6]

A year later, the war had taken a different turn and Brooke no longer believed it necessary to stay at Churchill's side. He therefore looked forward to take the command of the Allied invasion of Western Europe, a post Brooke believed he had been promised to have by Churchill on three occasions. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces But during the first Quebec conference, in August 1943, it was decided that the command would go to US General George C. Marshall. The First Quebec Conference (codenamed "QUADRANT" was a high level military conference held during World War II between the British, Canadian George Catlett Marshall Jr (December 31 1880 &ndash October 16 1959 was an American military leader Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of (Although in the event Marshall's work as US Army Chief of Staff was too important for him to leave Washington DC, and a different US General, Dwight D. Eisenhower, was in fact appointed. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general ) Brooke was bitterly disappointed, both of being passed over and of the way the decision was conveyed to him by Churchill, who according to Brooke "dealt with the matter as if it were one of minor importance". ^[7]

Statue of Field Marshal The Viscount Alanbrooke, MoD Building, Whitehall, London.

Relationship with Churchill

During the years as CIGS, Alan Brooke had a stormy relationship with Winston Churchill. Brooke was often frustrated with the Prime Minister’s habits and working methods, his abuse of generals and constant meddling into strategic matters. At the same time Brooke greatly admired Churchill for the way he inspired the Allied cause and for the way he bore the heavy burden of war leadership. In one typical passage in Brooke’s war diaries Churchill is described as a “genius mixed with an astonishing lack of vision -- he is quite the most difficult man to work with that I have ever struck but I should not have missed the chance of working with him for anything on earth!”. ^[8]

When Churchill’s many fanciful strategic ideas collided with sound military strategy it was only Alan Brooke on the Chiefs of Staff Committee who was able to stand up to the Prime Minister. Churchill said about Brooke: “When I thump the table and push my face towards him what does he do? Thumps the table harder and glares back at me. I know these Brookes – stiff-necked Ulstermen and there's no one worse to deal with than that!” ^[9][10] It has been claimed that part of Churchill's greatness was that he appointed Brooke as CIGS and kept him for the whole war.

A general complaint from Brooke was that Churchill often advocated diversion of forces where the CIGS preferred concentration. Brooke was particularly annoyed by Churchill's idea of capturing the northern tip of Sumatra. Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two ^[11] But in some cases Brooke did not see the political dimension of strategy as the Prime Minister did. For example, Brooke was sceptical about the British intervention in Greece in late 1944, an operation which he believed drained troops from the central front in Germany. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. But at this stage the war was practically won and Churchill saw the possibility to prevent Greece from becoming a communist state. ^[12]

The balance of the Chiefs of Staff Committee was tilted in October 1943 when Admiral Andrew Cunningham succeeded Admiral Dudley Pound as First Sea Lord. Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, Bt, KT, GCB, OM, DSO (7 January Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound GCB OM GCVO RN ( 29 August 1877 - 21 October The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service. Brooke now got a firm ally in his arguments with Churchill. ^[13] This was reflected in the most serious clash between the Prime Minister and the Chiefs of Staff, regarding the British preparations for final stages of the Pacific War. The Pacific War was the part of World War II —and preceding conflicts—that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia, between Brooke and the rest of the Chiefs of Staff wanted to build up the forces in Australia while Churchill preferred to use India as a base for the British effort. It was an issue over which the Chiefs of Staff were prepared to resign, but in the end a compromise was reached. The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior Military personnel in the British Armed Forces. ^[14]

Despite their many disagreements Brooke and Churchill held an affection for each other. After one fierce clash Churchill told General Hastings Ismay that he did not think he could continue to work any longer with Brooke because “he hates me. General Hastings Lionel Ismay 1st Baron Ismay KG GCB CH DSO PC (21 June 1887–17 December 1965 was a British I can see hatred looking from his eyes. ” Brooke responded to Ismay: “Hate him? I don't hate him. I love him. But the first time I tell him that I agree with him when I don't will be the time to get rid of me, for then I can be no more use to him. " When Churchill was told this he murmured, ”Dear Brooke. ”

Assessment

Alan Brooke, or "Brookie" as he was generally known, is reckoned to be one of the foremost of all the heads of the British Army. He was quick in mind and speech and deeply respected by his military colleagues, both British and Allied, although his uncompromising manners could make the Americans somewhat wary. His influence on the Western Allied grand strategy was strong, perhaps the strongest any individual had. Among the most important of his contributions to the course of the war ranks the delaying of the second front. The partnership between Brooke and Churchill was a very successful one. The combination of Churchill's vision and Brooke's down to earth-method of running the war led Britain to victory in 1945. ^[15]

War diaries

Alan Brooke kept a diary during the whole of World War II. Originally intended for his wife, Benita, the diaries were later commented by Brooke in the 1950s. The diaries contain descriptions on the day-to-day running of the British war effort (including some quite indiscreet references to top secret interceptions of German radio traffic),^[16] Brooke's thoughts on strategy as well as frequent anecdotes from the many meetings Brooke had with the Allied leadership during the war.

The diaries have become famous mostly because of the frequent remarks on and criticisms of Winston Churchill. Although the diaries contain appraisal and admiration of Churchill, they also served as a vent for Brooke's frustration with working with the Prime Minister. The diaries also give a rough opinion on several of the top Allied leaders. The American generals Eisenhower and George Marshall are for example described as poor strategists and the British Field Marshal Harold Alexander as unintelligent. George Catlett Marshall Jr (December 31 1880 &ndash October 16 1959 was an American military leader Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis KG OM GCB GCMG CSI DSO Among the few individuals who Brooke seems to have positive opinion of are General Douglas MacArthur,^[17] Field Marshal John Dill and Joseph Stalin. General MacArthur redirects here for other meanings see General MacArthur (disambiguation. Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO ( 25 December 1881 - 4 November 1944) was a Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Brooke admired Stalin for his quick brain and grasp of military strategy. Otherwise he had no illusions about the man, describing Stalin thus: "He has got an unpleasantly cold, crafty, dead face, and whenever I look at him I can imagine his sending off people to their doom without ever turning a hair. " ^[18]

Edited by historian Arthur Bryant the diaries were first published in 1957 (The Turn of the Tide) and in 1959 (Triumph in the West). Sir Arthur Wynne Morgan Bryant, CH, CBE ( 18 February 1899 - 22 January 1985) was a widely popular British historian Originally the diaries were never meant to be published. One reason why Brooke changed his mind was the lack of credit to him and the Chiefs of Staff in Churchill's own war memoirs which essentially presented their ideas and innovations as his own. Although heavily censored, the books became controversial not only as a result of the many comments on Churchill and others, but also because they launched Brooke as the sole man behind the Allies' victory. Winston Churchill himself did not appreciate the books. ^[19] In 2001 the publication of the uncensored "War Diaries", edited by Alex Danchev and Daniel Todman, again attracted attention to one of the most influential strategists of World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Post war career and honours

After retirement from the Army Alan Brooke served on the boards of several companies, both in industry and in banking. He was director of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, the Midland Bank, the National Discount Company and the Belfast Banking Company. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company ( APOC) was founded in 1908 following the discovery of a large oil field in Masjed Soleiman, Iran. Midland Bank was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century Brooke was particularly fond of being a director of the Hudson's Bay Company where he served for eleven years from 1948. ^[20]

Brooke was created Baron Alanbrooke, of Brookeborough in the County of Fermanagh, in 1945^[21], and Viscount Alanbrooke in 1946^[22]. Brookeborough is a Village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. County Fermanagh (fɚr'mænɘ Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach'in Irish) is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern

• He won the Distinguished Service Order^[23] in World War I,
• He was appointed KCB in 1940,
• The GCB in 1942,^[24]
• He became a Knight of the Garter in 1946. The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients ^[25],
• A member of the Order of Merit in 1946,
• And GCVO in 1953. The Order of Merit is a British and Commonwealth Order bestowed by the Monarch. The Royal Victorian Order (RVO is a Dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry in the Commonwealth realms Created by Queen Victoria

He also served as Chancellor of the Queen's University of Belfast from 1949 until his death. A Chancellor is the head of a University. Other titles are sometimes used such as President or Rector. Queen's University Belfast is a university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II he was appointed Lord High Constable of England, thus commanding all troops taking part in the event. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal In 1994 a statue of Brooke was erected in front of the Ministry of Defence in London. The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters The statue is flanked by statues of Britain's other two leading generals of World War II, Lord Slim and Lord Montgomery of Alamein. Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill" Slim 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, KStJ Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn

Coat of Arms

His Coat of Arms as issued to him by the College of Arms is: "Or, a cross engrailed per pale Gules and Sable, in dexter chief a crescent for difference. The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is an office regulating Heraldry and granting new Armorial bearings for England, Wales "

Private life and ornithology

Alan Brooke was married twice. After six years of engagement he married Jane Richardson in 1914, a neighbour to the Brookes in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Six days into their honeymoon Brooke was recalled to active duty when World War I started. The couple had one daughter and one son, Rosemary and Thomas. Thomas Brooke 2nd Viscount Alanbrooke ( 9 January 1920 &ndash 19 December 1972) Jane Brooke died following a car accident in 1925 in which her husband was at the steering wheel. The death of his first wife was a severe blow to Alan Brooke. ^[26] He regained happiness when he met Benita Lees, daughter of Sir Harold Pelly, 4th Bt. and the widow of Sir Thomas Lees, 2nd Bt., whom he married in 1929. The Pelly Baronetcy, of Upton in the County of Essex is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. There have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Lees, all in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. The marriage was very happy and resulted in one daughter and one son, Kathleen and Victor. Captain Alan Victor Harold Brooke 3rd Viscount Alanbrooke, RA (born 24 November 1932) succeeded to the Viscountcy in 1972 on the ^[27] During the war the couple lived in Hartley Wintney, a village in Hampshire. Hartley Wintney is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Wildlife Hampshire has wildlife typical of the island of Great Britain After the war, the Alanbrookes' financial situation forced the couple to move into the gardener's cottage of their former home, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Their last years were darkened by the death of their daughter, Kathleen, in a riding accident in 1961. ^[28] On 18 March 1940 an army dentist pulled out Alan Brooke's last three teeth and fitted him with full dentures. ^[29]

Alan Brooke had a love of nature. Hunting and fishing were among his great interests. His foremost passion, however, was birds. Brooke was a noted ornithologist, especially skilled in bird photography. He was president of the Zoological Society of London from 1950 to 1954 and vice-president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The Zoological Society of London (sometimes known by the abbreviation ZSL) is a Learned society founded in London in April 1826 by Sir Thomas Stamford The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB) is a British Charitable organisation which works to promote conservation and protection ^[30] During breaks in the war planning, the CIGS could sometimes be seen in London book shops looking for rare bird books. Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 He bought a precious collection of books by John Gould, but due to financial reasons he was forced to sell these volumes after the war. John Gould ( 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English Ornithologist.

Death

Lord Alanbrooke's gravestone.

On June 17, 1963 Brooke suffered a heart attack and died quietly in his bed with his wife beside him. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The same day, he was due to have had attended the Garter Service in St George's Chapel, Windsor. Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited Castle in the world and dating back to the time of Nine days later he was given a funeral in Windsor and buried in St Mary's churchyard, near his home in Hartley Wintney,^[31] which is where his son, the last heir to the Alanbrooke viscountcy, still lives. Hartley Wintney is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Hampshire. Captain Alan Victor Harold Brooke 3rd Viscount Alanbrooke, RA (born 24 November 1932) succeeded to the Viscountcy in 1972 on the

At his death, Alan Brooke's estate was probated at £50,580 (about £700,000 in 2006). Probate is the Legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person specifically resolving all claims and distributing the decedent's Property

Other

• Alanbrooke House is a house at Welbeck college where all 5 houses are named after prominent military figures. Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College (Welbeck DSFC is a Sixth form College in Woodhouse Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom
• Alanbrooke is the Junior Girls house at the Duke of York's Royal Military School, where, like Welbeck college, all houses are named after prominent military figures. The Duke of York’s Royal Military School was founded in 1803 by Prince Frederick Augustus Duke of York and Albany son of King George III and Queen Charlotte

Notes

References

• Alanbrooke, Field Marshal Lord (edited by Alex Danchev and Daniel Todman) (2001). War Diaries 1939-1945. Phoenix Press. ISBN 1-84212-526-5.  

• Fraser, David (1983). Alanbrooke. Hamlyn Paperbacks. ISBN 0-600-20816-8.  

• Galloway, Peter (2006). The Order of the Bath.  

• Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.  

• Reynolds, David (2005). In Command of History, Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War. Peunguin Books. ISBN 0-141-01964-6.  

External links

• A link to the churchyard where he is buried - which shows his Coat of Arms