Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck

by Evan McGilvray

Overview

Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck is a study not only of the individual but also of how the British Army, Indian Army and the Empire were transformed during his long military career. Auchinleck was commissioned into the Indian Army from 1904 and served with distinction against the Turks in Egypt and the Mesopotamian campaign, earning a DSO. Between the wars he was involved in the pacification of the Northwest Frontier (now Pakistan).

In the Second World War he briefly led a division in the ill-fated Norway campaign before being appointed Commander-in-Chief, India. He is best remembered for his controversial stint in command in North Africa, where he replaced Wavell in July 1941. He halted Rommel at the First Battle of El Alamein but was then replaced by Montgomery and resumed as C-in-C India, where his logistical support for Fourteenth Army was vital to success in Burma. Post-war he planned and oversaw Partition and British withdrawal from India. Here, as in North Africa, interference from his political masters added to the burdens of command. Evan McGilvray appraises Auchinleck’s long and varied career in its entirety.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399002134
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	07/04/2024
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x (d)

About the Author

Evan McGilvray has written several books on Polish military history for Helion and is writing a book about Poland, NATO and the failure of democracy in Poland since joining the European Union.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

Chapter 1 The Early Years 1

Chapter 2 The First World War 8

Chapter 3 A Return to India 21

Chapter 4 Norway and War 32

Chapter 5 Return to England: Southern Command, 1940 A Short Interlude and then India Once More 55

Chapter 6 North Africa 73

Chapter 7 Operation CRUSADER 89

Chapter 8 Rommel Counter-Attacks and the Consequences 114

Chapter 9 Back to India 159

Chapter 10 The Twilight Years: 1948-81 213

Notes 236

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

"McGilvray concludes that Auchinleck was a great soldier but he lacked the skills and experience to deal effectively with political leadership as commander-in-chief....a good biographical account."

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