“Monty’s" Successor On General Staff

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 October 1948, Page 5

“Monty’s" Successor On General Staff

LONDON, Oct. B.—The War Office announced that General Sir William Slim has been appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff in succession to Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery. General Slim commanded Britain's wartime armies in Burma. General Slim's name was little known to the man in the street until the last stages of the recent war, because he has always gone out of his way to avoid the limelight, but, by those closely associated with military affairs he has been ca led "the Monty of the Far East.' Now 57 years of age. he tried several civil occupations before he started his military career as a volunteer at the beginning ot the First World War.l He was a junior clerk, then a teacher in an elementary school, next foreman of a testing gang in an engineering works. When the war began in 1914, after a short spelt in the ranks he was given a commission in the Royaf Warwickshires. Bv August, 1915. he had been in action at Gallipoli, Cape Helles and Angat. He was wounded, and some months later was discharged as permanently unfit. But in February, 1916, he made his way back into the Arm v and got to France- He took part in the capture of Bagdad, was awarded the M.C. and was again wounded. He liked India, and joined the Indian Army. In 1940 he went to the Sudan In command of a brigade of the sth Indian Division. He was wounded during the advance into Eritrea. Three months later he was given command of a division in Irak, and after putting down the Axis-inspired coup he commanded with distinction the operations on the Upper Euphrates, for which he won the C.B.E. Two months afterwards he led his division into Persia and met the Russians at Teheran. When war broke out with Japan he was sent to Burma to take over a corps under General Sir Harold Alexander. He was knighted in 1944.