Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill, GCB, CMG, DSO (25 December 1881 - 4 November 1944) was a British commander in World War I and World War II who played a significant role in the formation of the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States. Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Prime Minister Winston Churchill, (left) with President Franklin Roosevelt, at the 1945 Yalta Conference. ...

Equestrian statue of Sir John Dill over his grave in Arlington.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (999 × 1333 pixel, file size: 874 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Equestrian statue of Sir John Dill in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 449 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (999 × 1333 pixel, file size: 874 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Equestrian statue of Sir John Dill in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. ... Apotheosis of Saint Louis by Charles H. Niehaus In sculpture, an equestrian (from the Latin equus meaning horse) is a statue consisting of a horse with mounted rider. ...

Early life

Born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland in 1881, his father was the local bank manager. Always intended for a career in the services Dill attended Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1901 he joined the 1st battalion of the Leinster regiment and was posted to South Africa to see out the Second Boer War. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Armagh Area: 1,254 km² Population (est. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Cheltenham College is a famous English coeducational independent school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ... New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst New Colours are presented to RMAS, June 2005. ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 5000 - 6000 Battlefield casualties, 15,000 disease related. ...

Military career

Promoted captain in 1911 he was studying at the Staff College, Camberley on the outbreak of the First World War when he became brigade-major of the 25th brigade (8th division) in France where he was present at Neuve Chapelle, Alvers Ridge and Bois Grenier. By the end of the war he was a brigadier general, had been wounded in action and mentioned in despatches eight times. Dill's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography makes clear that he was a typically excellent British officer of the period: handsome, charming, inspiring, noble and just a bit dim. 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, is a training college for the British army. ... The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. ... Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. ... The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ...

After the war he gained a reputation as a gifted army instructor. In 1929 he was posted to India and in 1930 was promoted to major general before returning to appointments at the Staff College (for in fact the third time) and then to the War Office. Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Old War Office Building, seen from Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ...

Dill commanded British forces in Palestine (1936 - 1937) but at the outbreak of World War II he initially had to watch younger, junior officers be promoted over him. Seen as something of a dinosaur and poorly regarded by both Winston Churchill and Leslie Hore-Belisha, Minister for War, Dill was eventually posted as commander of I Corps in France (1939-40). On returning to the UK in April 1940, Dill was appointed Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff, under CIGS William Ironside, by the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. On 26th May, 1940, after Chamberlain had been replaced by Churchill, Dill replaced Ironside as CIGS. Later in 1940, Dill became ADC General to King George VI. Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ... This article is 95 kilobytes or more in size. ... // Isaac Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, PC (September 7, 1893 – February 16, 1957) was a British Liberal Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister remembered for his innovations in road transport and for being an alleged victim of anti-semitism. ... The British I Corps has a long history, and was in existence as an active formation in the British Army for longer than any other corps. ... Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was the title of the professional head of the British Army from 1908 to 1964. ... Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside Field Marshal William Edmund Ironside. ... The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is, in practice, the political leader of the United Kingdom. ... Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940), known as Neville Chamberlain, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ...

By the time Churchill worked with Dill as Chief of the Imperial General Staff it was clear how poorly the two men got on. Dill gained a reputation as obstructive, unimaginative and overanxious and indeed the stress made him ill. Keen to get him out of the way, Churchill posted him to Washington as his personal representative in 1941 where he became Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission, then Senior British Representative on the Combined Chiefs of Staff. This turned out to be the point at which Dill found his feet.

He showed a great flair as a diplomatic military presence. In 1943 alone he attended the Quebec Conference, the Casablanca Conference, the Tehran Conference and meetings in India, China and Brazil. He also served briefly on the combined policy committee set up by the British and United States governments under the Quebec Agreement to oversee the construction of the atomic bomb. Left to right: Athlone, Roosevelot, Churchill, and King The Quebec Conference (codenamed QUADRANT) was a high level military conference held during World War II between the British and United States governments. ... The Casablanca Conference was held at the Anfa Hotel in Casablanca, Morocco, from January 14 to 24, 1943, to plan the European strategy of the Allies during World War II. Present were Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. ... Left to right: General Secretary of the Communist Party Joseph Stalin, President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom . ... The Quebec Agreement was an Anglo-Canadian-American document which outlined the terms of nuclear nonproliferation between the United Kingdom and the United States. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ...

In the United States he was immensely important in making the Chiefs of Staff committee — which included members from both countries — function, often smoothing ruffled feathers in the clash of cultures which followed. He was particularly friendly with General George Marshall (the man with a plan) and the two exercised a great deal of influence on President Roosevelt who described Dill as "the most important figure in the remarkable accord which has been developed in the combined operations of our two countries". He was also friendly with the famously unpleasant Admiral King who was initially very suspicious of cooperation with the British but who was presumably won over by Dill's charm and impressive military record. For other persons named George Marshall, see George Marshall (disambiguation). ... Map of Cold-War era Europe and the Near East showing countries that received Marshall Plan aid. ... 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. ... Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King (November 23, 1878 – June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations (COMINCH-CNO) during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navys operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs...

Death

Field Marshal Dill at the Atlantic Conference in 1941

Dill died in Washington in November 1944 and was posthumously awarded an American Distinguished Service Medal in 1945 as well as receiving an unprecedented joint resolution of Congress appreciating his services. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Image File history File links Prince_of_Wales-5. ... Image File history File links Prince_of_Wales-5. ... Flag Seal Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

External links

• Letter Roosevelt to Churchill on the announcement of the posthumous honours to Dill
• Text of the joint resolution of Congress