Lieutenant General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO, (May 5, 1880 - June 5, 1963), was a British officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He is one of the most remarkable figures in British military history, renowned for bravery, his striking character and the sheer adventure of his long life. He was the model for "Brigadier Ben Ritchie Hook" in the Sword of Honour trilogy of Evelyn Waugh. Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... The honours system of the United Kingdom is a means of rewarding personal bravery, achievement or service to the country. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-04-11, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Source: Veterans Affairs Canada The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and other formerly Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... British military history is a long and varied topic, extending from the prehistoric and ancient historic period, through the Roman invasions of Julius Cæsar and Claudius and subsequent Roman occupation; warfare in the Mediaeval period, including the invasions of the Saxons and the Vikings in the Dark Ages, the... The Sword of Honour trilogy by Evelyn Waugh is his look at the Second World War. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Evelyn Arthur St. ...

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography described him so, "With his black eyepatch and empty sleeve, Carton De Wiart looked like an elegant pirate, and became a figure of legend."

The Victoria Cross

During World War One he received the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. It is infrequently awarded and, perhaps, the most highly esteemed medal for bravery in the English speaking world. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ...

He was 36 years old, and a Lieutenant Colonel in the 4th Dragoon Guards (Royal Irish), British Army, attached to the Gloucestershire Regiment, Commanding the 8th Bn. when the following events took place for which he was awarded the VC. In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Cap badge and back badge of the Gloucestershire Regiment The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ...

On July 2/July 3, 1916, at La Boiselle, France, Lieutenant Colonel Carton de Wiart's dauntless courage and inspiration averted what could have been a serious reverse. He displayed the utmost energy in forcing the attack home and after three other battalion commanders had become casualties, he controlled their commands and made sure that the ground was held at all costs. In organising the positions to be held, he exposed himself fearlessly to enemy fire. He was wounded eight times (including the loss of an eye and his left hand) during the course of the First World War. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Ovillers-la-Boisselle is a commune of the Somme département in northern France. ...

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum (Chelsea, England) The National Army Museum is the British Armys central museum. ...

Early life

Adrian Carton De Wiart was born into an aristocratic family in Brussels, Belgiumon May 5, 1880, eldest son of Leon Constant Ghislain Carton de Wiart. He spent his early days in Belgium and in England. The death of his Irish mother when he was six prompted his father to uproot the family and move to Cairo, Egypt to practice international law. Carton De Wiart was a Roman Catholic. He enjoyed his time in Egypt and learned to speak Arabic. Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the... Motto: Dutch: Eendracht maakt macht; French: Lunion fait la force; German: Einigkeit macht stark (English: Strength lies in unity) Anthem: The Brabançonne Capital Brussels 50°90′ N 4°53′ E Largest city Brussels Official languages Dutch, French, German Government King Prime Minister Constitutional Monarchy Albert II Guy Verhofstadt... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Cairo (disambiguation). ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Arabic (العربية al-arabiyyah, or less formally arabi) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ...

Carton De Wiart was not particularly close to his father, who was a quiet, indoors, sort of man.

At an early opportunity his new stepmother sent him to a boarding school in England, the Roman Catholic Oratory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham, founded by John Henry Cardinal Newman. A boarding school is a self-contained educational establishment where students not only study but where some or all students may live. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area in Birmingham, England, UK. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... J H Newman age 23 when he preached his first sermon (homily) Newmans personal coat of arms upon his elevation to the cardinalate. ...

From there he went to Balliol College, Oxford, but left to join the British Army at the time of the Boer War around the turn of the 20th century. He had found his true vocation. College name Balliol College Named after John de Balliol Established 1263 Sister College St Johns Master Andrew Graham JCR President Triona Giblin Undergraduates 403 Graduates 228 Homepage Boatclub Balliol College, founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch, French and German origin (called Boers, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South...

No scholar, he was a truly ferocious warrior. He was shot through the lung in South Africa early on and invalided home. After a brief stab at Oxford again, where Aubrey Herbert was among his friends, he was given a commission in the Second Imperial Light Horse. He saw some action in South Africa again and in 1901 was given a regular commission in the 4th Dragoon Guards. Adrian was transferred to India in 1902. This gave him full scope for his love of sports, especially shooting and pig sticking. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Pigsticking, boar-hunting, or hog-hunting is a form of hunting in which wild boars are pursued on horseback and killed with spears. ...

Character and interests

Carton de Wiart's serious wound in the Boer War instilled in him a mania for physical fitness and he ran, walked and played sports at every opportunity, especially if the sport involved depleting the local fish, bird, rabbit and big game stocks. He was always up early each day. De Wiart was both quick tempered and modest.

A champagne, claret and port man, he detested whiskey, liked popular music hall tunes and had no ear for classical music. Formidable and intimidating, he managed to keep a wide circle of friends. A man's man, he was more drawn to the outdoors type of person. His admirers ranged from Winston Churchill to Chiang Kai-shek. He spoke French, Arabic and Polish. He loved South Africa, Poland and Ireland and hated India. He liked the country more than the city, but of the cities, pre-World War One Vienna was his favourite. The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG , OM , CH , FRS , PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887–April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ...

The transfer of his regiment to a by-then peaceful South Africa brought him a pleasant interlude when he was appointed an aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Henry Hilyard, whom Carton de Wiart admired enormously. He describes this period lasting up to 1914 as his "heyday" (Happy Odessy). His light duties as aide gave him time for polo, another passion. An aide-de-camp (French: camp assistant) is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ...

Carton de Wiart was well connected in European circles, his two closest cousins being, respectively, Henri Carton de Wiart, Prime Minister of Belgium from 1920 to 1921, and Edmond Carton de Wiart, political secretary to the King of Belgium and director of "La Societe Generale de Belgique". While on leave he travelled extensively throughout central Europe, staying at country estates for the shooting in Bohemia, Austria, Hungary and Bavaria. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Bohemia For the place in the USA, see Bohemia, New York. ... The Free State of Bavaria (German: Bayern or Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ...

A transfer back to England gave scope for a new passion, fox hunting. He rode with the famous Duke of Beaufort's Hunt where he encountered, among others, the future field marshal, Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, and the future air marshal, Sir Edward Leonard Ellington. A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... The Duke of Beauforts Hunt is one of the oldest and largest of the fox hunting groups in England. ... Field Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson of Libya (5 September 1881 - 31 December 1964), better known as Jumbo Wilson was a senior British General during World War II. He saw active service in the Boer War and the First World War. ... This article is about the Royal Air Force rank. ... Edward Leonard Ellington (1877-1967) British Air Force leader. ...

De Wiart found the time in 1908 to marry Countess Frederica Fugger von Babenhausen, more fully Countess Friederike Maria Karoline Henriette Rosa Sabina Franziska Fugger von Babenhausen (1887 Klagenfurt -1949 Vienna), eldest daughter of Karl Ludwig, 1st Fuerst or Prince Fugger von Babenhausen of Klagenfurt, Austria. They had two daughters, the elder of whom Anita (b. 1909, decd.) was the maternal grandmother of the war correspondent Anthony Loyd (b. 1966). 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Anthony Loyd is a noted British war correspondent. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

World War One

When the First World War broke out Carton De Wiart was en route to British Somaliland where a low level war was underway against the followers of a Moslem religious fanatic, Mohammed bin Abdullah, called by the British, 'The Mad Mullah'. De Wiart had been seconded to the Somaliland Camel Corps. A staff officer with the Corps was Hastings Ismay, later Lord Ismay, Churchill's military advisor. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The British Somaliland Protectorate was a British protectorate in the north part of the Horn of Africa, later part of Somalia. ... In comparative religion, fundamentalism refers to anti-modernist movements in various religions. ... Mohammed bin Abdullah, was a Somali mullah, religious agitator and dervish of the Habr Suleiman tribe in what was then British Somaliland. ... General Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay of Wormington (June 21, 1887 - 1965) was a British soldier and diplomat. ...

In an attack upon an enemy fort, Carton de Wiart was shot in the face, and ever after a black patch over his left eye socket formed part of his appearance, along with a clipped moustache and a tall, spare, but fit, figure.

By February of 1915, he was on a steamer for France and years of heavy fighting. De Wiart was in the thick of the fighting on the Western Front, commanding successively a brigade and three infantry batallions. During the course he was wounded seven more times, losing his left hand. Shot through the skull and ankle at the Battle of the Somme, through the hip at Passchendaele and through the leg at Cambrai, he spent a fair bit of time in hospitals recovering from wounds. Henceforth, an empty sleeve added to his distinctive appearance. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... See Western Front (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... See Battle of the Somme (disambiguation) for other battles and meanings Battle of the Somme Conflict First World War Date 1 July 1916 – 18 November 1916 Place Somme, Picardy, France Result Stalemate The 1916 Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War, with... Passchendaele village, before and after the Battle of Passchendaele The Battle of Passchendaele, otherwise known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, fought by British, ANZAC, and Canadian soldiers against the German army near Ypres (Ieper in Flemish) in West Flanders... Cambrai (Dutch: Kamerijk) is a French city and commune, in the Nord département, of which it is a sous_préfecture. ...

Despite all this De Wiart said at the end, "Frankly I had enjoyed the war..." (Happy Odessy). Adrian Carton De Wiart was, by this time, a legendary military hero.

The Polish Mission

At the end of the war Carton de Wiart was sent to Second Republic of Poland as second in command of the British Military Mission under General Louis Botha. After a brief period, he replaced General Botha. Poland desperately needed all the help it could get, as it was engaged with the Bolshevik Russia (Polish-Soviet War), the Ukrainians (Polish-Ukrainian War), the Lithuanians (Polish-Lithuanian War) and the Czechs (Czech-Polish border conflicts). There he encountered Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the great pianist and premier, Marshal Józef Piłsudski, the Chief of State and military commander, and General Maxime Weygand, head of the French military mission in mid 1920. Charles De Gaulle was attached to the French military mission. World War I After World War I and the collapse of the Russian, German and Austro-Hungarian Empires, Poland became an independent republic. ... The British Military Mission to Poland was an effort by Britain to aid the nascent Second Polish Republic after it achieved its independence in November, 1918, at the end of the First World War. ... Louis Botha Louis Botha (September 17, 1862-August 27, 1919) was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa. ... Bolshevist Russia is a common term that refers to the Red side in the Russian government between the Bolsheviks October Revolution (November 7, 1917) and the constitution of the Soviet Union (December 30, 1922). ... The Polish-Soviet War or Russo-Polish War — in Polish, often called the Bolshevik War (Wojna bolszewicka) — was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between two nascent states in post-World War I Europe, Soviet Russia and the Second Polish Republic. ... Orlęta, a 1926 painting by Wojciech Kossak The Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918 and 1919 was a conflict between the forces of Poland and Western-Ukrainian Peoples Republic for the control over the Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. ... Map showing the areas claimed by Lithuania and Poland, as well as the Republic of Central Lithuania, with the post-1922 borders marked The Polish-Lithuanian War refers to the armed conflict between newly independent nations of Lithuania and the Second Polish Republic that lasted from August of 1920 to... Border conflicts between Poland and Czechoslovakia started in 1918 between the two newly independent countries of Poland (Second Polish Republic) and Czechoslovakia. ... Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (November 6, 1860 – June 29, 1941) was a Polish virtuoso pianist, composer, diplomat and politician, the third Prime Minister of Poland. ... Term of Office from November 14, 1918 until December 9, 1922 Profession Statesman and military commander Political Party none, see Sanacja for details First Lady Maria Piłsudska Date of Birth December 5, 1867 Place of Birth Zułów, in todays Lithuania Date of Death May 12, 1935 Place of Death... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The French Military Mission to Poland was an effort by France to aid the nascent Second Polish Republic after it achieved its independence in November, 1918, at the end of the First World War. ... General Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (   listen?) (November 22, 1890 – November 9, 1970), in France commonly referred to as général de Gaulle or Le Général, was a French military leader and statesman. ...

One of his tasks soon after his arrival was to attempt to make peace between the Poles and the Ukrainian natonalists under Simon Petlyura. The Ukrainians were besieging the city of Lwów (Uk., Lvov,; Ger., Lemberg). He was unsuccessful and formed a negative view of Petlyura, especially after Ukrainian forces machine gunned his train, killing two Polish officers aboard. Symon Petlyura (Симон Петлюра; also spelt Simon, Semen, Semyen Petliura or Petlura, May 10, 1879 – May 25, 1926) was a Ukrainian politician. ... Motto: Semper fidelis Oblast Lviv Oblast Municipal government City council (Львівська міська рада) Mayor City chairman Lyubomyr Bunyak Area 171,01 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 808,900 ? 4786/km² Founded City rights 13th century 1353 Latitude Longitude 49°51′ N 24°01′ E Area code +0322 Car plates  ? Twin towns Corning, Freiburg...

From there he went on to Paris to report on Polish conditions to the British prime minister, David Lloyd George and to General Sir Henry Hughes Wilson. Lloyd George was not sympathetic to Poland and, much to Carton De Wiart's fury, Britain sent next to no military supplies. Then he went back to Poland and many more front line adventures, this time in the Bolshevik zone, where the situation was grave with warsaw threatened. During this time he had significant interaction with the dean of the diplomatic corps, Cardinal Achille Ratti, later Pius XI, who wanted Carton De Wiart's advice as to whether to evacuate the diplomatic corps from Warsaw. The diplomats moved to Poznan, but the Italians remained in Warsaw along with Ratti. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... The Right Honourable David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, OM, PC (January 17, 1863 – March 26, 1945) was a British statesman and the last Liberal to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, Bt. ... Pius XI (born Achille Ratti May 31, 1857 - Rome, February 10, 1939) was Pope from February 6, 1922 until February 10, 1939. ... The Poznan is also a breed of horse. ...

From all these affairs, Carton De Wiart developed a sympathy with the Poles and supported their claims to the eastern Galicia. This caused a falling out with Lloyd George at their next meeting, but endeared him to the Poles. His larger than life personality, straightforward manner, bravery and passion for hunting appealed to the Poles. At one time during his Warsaw stay he was a second in a duel between Polish members of the Mysliwski Club, the other second being Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, later commander in chief of Finnish armies in World War Two and President of Finland. Norman Davies reports that he was "...compromised in a gun-runnung operation from Budapest using stolen wagon-lits" (see bibliography below). The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, or simply Galicia, was the largest and northernmost province of Austria from 1772 until 1918, with Lemberg (Lwów, Lviv) as its capital city. ... The famous Mannerheims equestrian statue by the Mannerheim road in downtown Helsinki, the capital of Finland Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (June 4, 1867 – January 28, 1951) was the reputed Commander-in-Chief of Finlands Defence Forces, Marshal of Finland, an astute politician, a successful military commander and... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Budapest seen from north. ...

He became rather close to the Polish leader, Marshal Piłsudski. After an airplane crash occasioning a brief period in Lithuanian captivity, he went back to England to report, this time to the Secretary of State for War, Winston Churchill. He passed on to Churchill, Piłsudski's prediction that the White Russian offensive under Gen. Anton Denikin directed at Moscow would fail. It did shortly thereafter. Churchill was more sympathetic to Polish needs than Lloyd George and succeeded, over Lloyd George's objections, in sending a few war materials to Poland. The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas (appointed in 1794). ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG , OM , CH , FRS , PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The White movement, whose military arm is known as the White Army (Белая Армия) or White Guard (Белая Гвардия, белогвардейцы) and whose members are known as Whites (Белые, Беляки) or White Russians (a term which has other meanings) comprised some of the Russian forces, both political and military, which opposed... Anton Denikin on the day of his resignation in 1920 Anton Ivanovich Denikin (Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин) (December 16, 1872 - August 8, 1947) was a Russian army officer before and during World War I. Following the Russian Revolution he was part of the counter-revolutionary White Russian forces in the civil... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA:   listen?) is the capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva. ...

Carton De Wairt was active during the desperate days in August 1920, when the Red Army was at the gates of Warsaw. When out on his observation train, he was attacked by a group of marauding Red cavalry, and fought them off from the running board of his train, at one point falling on the track and reboarding quickly. This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ...

When the Poles had won the war by 1921, the British Military Mission was wound up and Carton de Wiart resigned his commission. He was not a peacetime soldier.

Polish Gentleman

His last Polish aide de camp was Prince Karol Radziwiłł, who inherited a gigantic 500,000 acre (2,000 km²) property in eastern Poland when the Communists killed his uncle. They became friends and Carton de Wiart was given the use of a large estate called Prostyń, in the Pripet Marshes, an enormous wetland area larger than Ireland, famous for waterfowl. Since borders have changed, it is now where Belarus and Ukraine come together. In this idyllic setting Carton De Wiart spent the rest of the interwar years. In his memoirs he said "I think I shot every day of those fifteen years I spent in the marshes and the pleasure never palled" (Happy Odyssey). Some 20,000 ducks fell to his guns during this time and he hunted elk and wild boar as well. The game shot went to the local families, who were only too glad to get it. He discovered the pleasures of reading with a particular interest in true adventure stories. He made a point of not listening to the radio and took up fishing. He went back to England only twice. There were two members of the magnate family of RadziwiÅ‚Å‚ to use the name of Karol StanisÅ‚aw RadziwiÅ‚Å‚: Karol StanisÅ‚aw RadziwiÅ‚Å‚ (1669-1719), a Grand Chancellor of Lithuania Karol StanisÅ‚aw RadziwiÅ‚Å‚ (1734-1790; often referred to by his idiolect Panie Kochanku), voivod of Wilno and Marshal of... Pinsk Marshes (Пинские болота) or Pripyat Marshes (Pripet Marshes, Припятские болота) is a vast territory of wetlands along the Pripyat River and its tributaries from Brest, Belarus (West) to Mahileu (Northeast) and Kiev (Southeast). ...

Carton De Wiart's Polish idyll was interrupted by oncoming war in July 1939 when he was summoned back to the colours and appointed to his old job, as head of the British Military Mission to Poland. Poland was attacked by Nazi Germany on 1 September and on 17 September the Soviets allied with Germany attacked Poland from the east. Soon Soviet forces overran Prostyń and de Wiart lost all his guns, rods, clothes, and furniture. He never saw the area again, but as he said "...they could not take my memories" (Happy Odyssey). The British Military Mission to Poland was an effort by Britain to aid the nascent Second Polish Republic after it achieved its independence in November, 1918, at the end of the First World War. ... The Polish Smarch Campaign — also known as Polish-German War of 1939, in Poland often as Wojna obronna 1939 roku (Defensive War of 1939), in Germany as Polish Campaign (Polenfeldzug), codenamed Fall Weiss (Case White) in the German General Staff — was the invasion of Poland by the armies of Nazi... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Anthems: The Internationale (1922-1944) / Hymn of the Soviet Union (1944-1991) Capital Moscow Matt Owns Tyler - Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Last Premier Ivan Silayev Last President... Molotov (left), Ribbentrop (in black) and Stalin The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, also known as the Hitler-Stalin pact or Nazi-Soviet pact, was a non-aggression treaty between Germany and Russia, or more precisely between the Soviet Union and the Third Reich. ...

World War Two

The Polish Campaign

Carton de Wiart met with the Polish commander-in-chief, Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły in late August of 1939 and formed a low opinion of his capabilities. He strongly urged Rydz-Smigly to pull Polish forces back beyond the Vistula River, but was unsuccessful. The other advice he offered, to have the seagoing units of the Polish fleet leave the Baltic Sea, was, after much argument, finally adopted. This fleet made a significant contribution to the Allied cause later, especially several modern destroyers and submarines. Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... Marshal of Poland (Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. ... Edward Rydz-Śmigły. ... Vistula river basin Vistula (Polish Wisła), is the longest river in Poland. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainlands of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and the Danish islands. ... Poland: First to Fight (poster, 1939). ...

As Polish resistance faltered, de Wiart evacuated his mission from Warsaw along with the Polish government. Together with the Polish commander Rydz-Śmigły, de Wiart made his way with the rest of the British Mission to the Romanian border with both the Germans and the Soviets closing in. His car convoy was attacked by the Luftwaffe on the road, and the wife of one of his aides was killed. He was in danger of arrest in Romania and got out by airplane on September 21 with a false pasport, just in time as the pro Allied Romanian prime minister, Armand Calinescu, was assassinated that day. The Luftwaffe ( ♫) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Aide was the Basque numenistic deity of the air. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... Armand Călinescu Armand Călinescu ( June 4 ( May 22 ( O.S.)), 1893, Piteşti - 21 September 1939, Bucharest) was a Romanian economist and politician. ...

The Norwegian Campaign

After a brief stint in command of the 61st Division in the Midlands of England, Carton De Wiart was summoned in April 1940 to take charge of a hastily drawn together Anglo-French force to occupy a small town in western Norway, Namsos. His orders were to take the city of Trondheim, some distance to the south, in conjunction with a naval attack and an advance from the south by troops landed at Åndalsnes. He had never met his troops before. County Nord-Trøndelag Landscape Namdalen Municipality NO-1703 Administrative centre Namsos Mayor (2004) KÃ¥re Aalberg (SV) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 141 775 km² 751 km² 0. ... County Sør-Trøndelag Landscape Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (A) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ... Ã…ndalsnes is a Norwegian town in the municipality of Rauma, of which it is also the administrative center. ...

He decided to fly immediately to Namsos to get the lay of the land before the troops came in. When his Short Sunderland Flying Boat came in for a landing, it was attacked by a German fighter and his aide was wounded. After the French Alpine troops landed (without their transport mules and missing straps for their skis), the German Air Force bombed and destroyed the town of Namsos in a matter of hours. The British landed without transport, skis or artillery. There was no air cover. The French stayed put in Namsos for the remainder of the short campaign. The Sunderland, S.25, was a flying boat patrol bomber, developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers, based on their successful S.23 Empire flying boats, the flagship of Imperial Airways. ...

Despite these handicaps, De Wiart managed to move his forces over the mountains and down to Trondheim Fjord, where they were promptly shelled by German destroyers. They had no artillery to challenge the German ships. It soon became apparent that the whole Norwegian campaign was fast becoming a shambles. The naval attack on Trondheim, which was the reason for the Namsos landing, did not happen and his troops were sitting ducks without guns, transport, air cover or skis in a foot and a half of snow. They were being attacked by German ski troops, machine gunned and bombed from the air and the German Navy was landing troops to his rear. He recommended withdrawal. He was politely asked to hold his position for political reasons. He did.

After orders, counterorders and some genuinely foolish suggestions from London, the decision to evacuate was made. However, on the date set to get the first of the troops off, the ships did not show up. The next night a naval force arrived, led through the fog by Lord Louis Mountbatten. The transports got the whole force away, though bombed very severely on the way out, with a French destroyer and a British destroyer (HMS Afridi) sunk. Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (June 25, 1900 – August 27, 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... Two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Afridi. ...

Carton De Wiart arrived back at the British naval base of Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands on his 60th birthday, May 5, 1940. Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... The Orkney Islands are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and form a traditional county and Lieutenancy area. ...

For more particulars about these events see Namsos in April 1940. In April and early May, 1940 Namsos was the scene of heavy fighting in World War Two between Anglo-French naval and military forces and German military and air forces. ...

His one active command in World War II was not a success, but the blame could not be put on him in this cauldron of politics. As de Wiart said about the campaign "...war and politics seem bad mixers, like port and champaign. But if it wasn't for politicians we wouldn't have wars, and I, for one, should have been done out what for me is a very agreeable life." This was well before the time of political correctness.

Ireland and the Mediterranean

De Wiart was posted back to the command of the 61st Division, which was soon transferred to Northern Ireland as a defence against invasion. He fell in love with Ireland, the moist climate perhaps reminding him of his beloved Pripet Marshes. A great trainer of troops, de Wiart brought the 61st up to a high standard of efficiency. He made many good friends in the country. However the arrival of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Royds Pownall as Commander-in-Chief in Northern Ireland brought sad tidings. De Wiart was told that he was simply too old to command a division on active duty. He was put on the shelf. Lieutenant General Sir Henry Royds Pownall (1887-1961) was Chief of Staff to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), in France and Belgium, until the fall of France in May 1940. ...

He remained inactive very briefly, as he was appointed as head of the British Military Mission to Yugoslavia on April 5th, 1941. Hitler was preparing to invade the country and the Yugoslavs asked for British help. Time was of the essence, so de Wiart departed England in a Wellington Bomber, bound for Belgrade. The Vickers Wellington was a twin-engine, medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs Chief Designer, R.K. Pierson. ...

After refuelling in Malta the aircraft left for Cairo running the gauntlet with enemy territory to the north and south. Both engines failed off the coast of Italian-controlled Libya, and the plane crash landed in the sea about a mile from land. Carton de Wiart was knocked out, but the cold water brought him to. When the plane broke up and went down, he and the rest aboard were forced to swim a mile to shore. They were captured by the Italian authorities.

Prisoner of War

De Wiart was a high profile prisoner and was transferred to a special prison for senior officers, first at Castello di Vincigliati and then at Fiesole, just outside Florence. There were quite a few prisoners here because of the large "bag" made by Rommel in North Africa early in 1941. De Wiart made friends, especially with General Sir Richard O'Connor, Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly and Lieutenant General Philip Neame VC. The four were committed to escaping. He made five attempts including seven months tunneling. Once de Wiart evaded capture for eight days disguised as an Italian peasant. But he was in northern Italy, did not speak Italian, was 61 years old with an eye patch, one empty sleeve and multiple injuries. He did well to stay out so long. Fiesole is a town and comune (township) of Firenze province in the Italian region of Tuscany, 43°49N 11°18E, on a famously scenic height 346 m (1140 ft) above Florence, 8 km (5 mi) NE of that city. ... Sir Richard Nugent OConnor (1889 - 1981) was a British Army General who commanded the Western Desert Force in the first years of World War II. The Italian Offensive OConnors plan to defend Egypt was to use a screen of light tanks and armored cars, supported by artillery... Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly (1914 - 1988), known as Dan Ranfurly, was a Second Lieutenant in the British 7th Armoured Division, called the Desert Rats. His exploits, along with those of his wife, Hermione, and valet, Whitaker, are chronicled in his wifes memoirs from the time, To... Philip Neame (VC, KBE, CB, DSO, Chevalier, Legion dHonneur and Croix de Guerre (France), Croix de Guerre (Belgium)) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

In letters to his wife, Ranfurly described Carton De Wiart in captivity as "... a delightful character" and said he "...must hold the record for bad language." Ranfurly was "...endlessly amused by him. He really is a nice person-superbly outspoken."

Then, in a surprising development, de Wiart was taken from his prison in August of 1943, and driven to Rome. Italy was trying to get out of the war, and backdoor negotiations were going slowly. Carton de Wiart was to accompany an Italian negotiator, General Zanussi, to Lisbon to meet Allied contacts to facilitate the surrender.

But to keep the cover, De Wiart was told he needed civilian clothes. Distrusting Italian tailors, he emphasized that they must be properly made. He was not going to wear one of their "bloody gigolo suits".

When they reached Lisbon, De Wiart was released and made his way to England, reaching there on August 28, 1943.

China Mission

Within a month of his arrival back in England, de Wiart was summoned to spend a night at the Prime Minister's country home at Chequers. Churchill informed him that he was to be sent to China as his personal representative. He left by air for India on October 18, 1943. Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a large house to the south east of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. ...

In India, de Wiart spent time getting an understanding of the situation in China, especially being briefed by a genuine tai-pan, John Keswick, head of the great China trading empire, Jardine Matheson. He spent time with the Viceroy, Lord Archibald Wavell and with Sir Claude Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief in India. He had great respect for both. He also met the controversial Orde Wingate. A tai-pan (大班) was a foreign businessman doing business in China or Hong Kong in the 19th century. ... Jardine Matheson, often called Jardines, is a multinational corporation that is legally based in Bermuda and which trades on the London and Singapore stock exchanges. ... Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 _ May 24, 1950) was a British General and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army. ... Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE (June 21, 1884 - 1981), nicknamed The Auk, was a British army commander during World War II. Born in Aldershot, he grew up in impoverished circumstances, but was able through hard work and scholarships... Major General Charles Orde Wingate (1903-1944) was a British major general and creator of two special military units during the World War II. Beginnings Charles Orde Wingate was born February 23 1903 in India to a military family. ...

Before arriving in China, Carton de Wiart attended the Cairo summit meeting attended by Churchill, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. There is a famous picture of these worthies gathered in a Cairo garden, with Carton de Wiart standing behind them. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Chiang Kai-shek (October 31, 1887–April 5, 1975) was a Chinese military and political leader who assumed the leadership of the Kuomintang (KMT) after the death of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. ...

When in Cairo, he took the opportunity to renew his aquaintance with Hermione, Countess of Ranfurly the wife of his friend from prisoner of war days, Dan Ranfurly. They became fast friends. She described him as "...tall, slim and elegant-very direct and amusing". Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly (1914 - 1988), known as Dan Ranfurly, was a Second Lieutenant in the British 7th Armoured Division, called the Desert Rats. His exploits, along with those of his wife, Hermione, and valet, Whitaker, are chronicled in his wifes memoirs from the time, To...

De Wiart was one of the few to hit it off with the notoriously irasible commander of US forces in the China-Burma-India Theatre, General Joseph Stilwell. Perhaps each recognized in the other a true warrior. Stilwell with Generalissimo and Madame Chiang Kai-shek. ...

He arrived in the headquarters of the Nationalist Chinese Government, Chungking (Chongqing), in early December 1943. For the next three years he was to be involved in a host of reporting, diplomatic and administrative duties in the remote war time capital. He got on well with Chiang kai-Shek and his formidable wife, indeed, when he finally retired he was offered a job by Chiang. He regularly flew out to India to liaise with British officials. His old friend, O'Connor, had escaped from the Italian prisoner of war camp and was now in command of British troops in eastern India. The Governor of Bengal, the Australian Richard Casey, became a good friend, his wife having nursed de Wiart on one of his many hospital visits in World War One. De Wiart had a great capacity to take the most out of life. Lord Casey Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey (29 August 1890 - 17 June 1976), Australian politician and diplomat and 16th Governor-General of Australia, was born in Brisbane, Queensland, the son of a pastoralist and Queensland state politician of Irish descent. ...

De Wiart returned home in December, 1944 to report to the War Cabinet on the Chinese situation. He seems to have made a good impression on the Deputy Prime Minister as well as on Churchill, since Clement Attlee, when he became head of the Labour Government in June 1945, asked de Wiart to stay on in China. A War Cabinet is committee formed by a government in time of war. ... The Right Honourable Sir Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ...

His taste for action had not dimmed, and he finagled a tour of the Burma Front, and befriending Admiral Sir James Somerville, CinC of the East Indies Fleet, he had a front seat in the Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth for the bombardment of Sabang in the Netherlands East Indies in 1945. Sir James Somerville (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. Born in Weybridge, Surrey, he entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1898, and achieved the rank of lieutenant by 1904. ... As of 2004, only one ship of the Royal Navy has carried the name HMS Queen Elizabeth, though other ships of the name were or are planned. ...

A good part of de Wiart's reporting had to do with the increasing power of the Chinese Communists. He met Mao Tse Tung at dinner and had a memorable exchange with him, interrupting his propaganda spiel to give him a tongue lashing for holding back from fighting the Japanese for domestic poitical reasons.Mao was briefly stunned, and then laughed. De Wiart had no illusions about Communists since his encounters with them in Eastern Europe in the early twenties. Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893—September 9, 1976) was the chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1935 until his death. ...

After the Japanese surrender in August, 1945, de Wiart flew to Singapore to participate in the formal surrender. After a visit to Peking (Biejing), he moved to Nanking (Nanjing), the now liberated Nationalist capital. Then another trip home to report to the new Labour Government.

A visit to Tokyo to meet General Douglas MacArthur came at the end of his tenure. He was now 66 and it was time to retire, despite the offer of a job by Chiang. General Douglas MacArthur aboard a battle ship toward the end of World War II, 1945 Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880-5 April 1964) was an American military leader. ...

Retirement

En route home via French Indochina, de Wiart stopped in Rangoon as a guest of the army commander. Coming down stairs, he slipped on coconut matting, fell down, broke his back and several vertebra and knocked himself out. A sad end for an old warrior returning home. He eventually made it to England and into a hospital where he slowly mended. The doctors succeeded in extracting a remarkable amount of shrapnel from his old wounds and generally patched him up.

But the old warrior was not through yet. Sheer will got him on his feet and soon he was on the road again, to Belgium to visit relatives.

His wife died in 1949 and in 1951, at the age of 71, he married Ruth Myrtle Muriel Joan McKechnie, a divorcee, and settled at Aghinagh House, Killnardish, County Cork, Ireland, taking up a life pursuing the salmon and the snipe. County Cork (Contae Chorcaí in Irish) is the most southwesterly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. ... The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow up to 58 long and 126 pounds. ... Genera Coenocorypha Gallinago Lymnocryptes A Snipe is any of 18 very similar wading bird species, characterised by a very long slender bill and cryptic plumage. ...

The old hero died at the age of 83 on June 5, 1963.

His remains are buried in Killinardish Churchyard, in County Cork, Ireland. County Cork (Contae Chorcaí in Irish) is the most southwesterly and the largest of the modern counties of Ireland. ...

Carton De Wiart's will was probated in Ireland at 4,158 pounds stirling and in England at 3,496 pounds stirling.

His great-grandson is the noted contemporary (2005) British war correspondent, Anthony William Vivian Loyd (b. 12 September 1966). A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories first-hand from a war zone. ... Anthony Loyd is a noted British war correspondent. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

Bibliography

• Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross, Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000
• Monuments To Courage, David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross, This England, 1997
• VCs of the First World War - The Somme, Gerald Gliddon, 1994
• Happy Odyssey - The Memoirs of Lt.Gen.Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, Carton de Wiart 1950
• The Biographical Dictionary of World War II, Mark M. Boatner III, Presidio Press, Novato,CA, 1999
• To War With Whitaker, The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly 1939-1945, Mandarin Paperbacks, London, 1995
• White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and "The Miracle on the Vistula", Norman Davies, Pimlico Edition, London, 2003

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Co. Cork)

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.