MAJOR SHAKE-UP IN BRITISH ARMY

Southland Times, Issue 24597, 20 November 1941, Page 5

MAJOR SHAKE-UP IN BRITISH ARMY

GENERAL BROOKE TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL PAGET TO COMMAND HOME FORCES (United Press Association —Telegraph Copyright) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. General Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, will relinquish his post on Christmas Day, when he will he 60 years of age. His successor will be General Sir Alan Brooke, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Forces. These are two changes in a major shake-up of the British High Command, which includes the appointment of LieutenantGeneral B. C. T. Paget, chief of staff of the Home Forces, to succeed General Brooke as commander-in-chief, and the promotion of Major-General E. A. Nye, who enlisted as a private in the last war, to be ViceChief of the Imperial General Staff, in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall, who has accepted a “very important” appointment.

General Dill in a statement said: “I am always anxious for young men in the Army to get on. That can happen only if the older men give way to them. I hand over to General Brooke with the greatest confidence. Lieuten-ant-General Paget is one of our finest generals and MajorGeneral Nye is an officer of my old regiment, whom I marked out for rapid advance. Lieutenant-General Pownall is required for a very important appointment, which will be announced soon. I leave the service with the deepest regret, but, I am glad to say, no bitterness.”

Sir John Dill, who has been made a field-marshal, has been appointed Governor of Bombay.