Archibald Wavell

Field Marshal The Right Honourable The Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, KStJ, PC
Sir Archibald Wavell in Field Marshal's uniform
Viceroy and Governor-General of India
In office 1 October 1943 – 21 February 1947
Monarch	George VI
Prime Minister	Winston Churchill Clement Attlee
Preceded by	The Marquess of Linlithgow
Succeeded by	The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma
Member of the House of Lords as Earl Wavell
In office 28 July 1943 – 24 May 1950 Viscount until 4 June 1947
Preceded by	Peerages created
Succeeded by	Archibald Wavell, 2nd Earl Wavell
Personal details
Born	Archibald Percival Wavell (1883-05-05)5 May 1883 Colchester, Essex, England, U.K.
Died	24 May 1950(1950-05-24) (aged 67) Westminster, London, England, U.K.
Relations	Married to Eugenie Marie Quirk, one son and three daughters
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom / British Empire
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1901–1943
Rank	Field Marshal
Unit	Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
Commands	6th Infantry Brigade 2nd Division British Troops Palestine and Trans-Jordan Southern Command Middle East Command GHQ India American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War: Second Battle of Ypres Sinai and Palestine Campaign Arab revolt in Palestine Second World War: North African Campaign Pacific War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Military Cross Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John Order of St Stanislaus, 3rd class with Swords (Russia) Order of St. Vladimir (Russia) Croix de Guerre (France) Commandeur of the Légion d'honneur (France) Order of El Nahda, 2nd Class (Hejaz) Grand Cross of the Order of George I with Swords (Greece) Virtuti Militari, 5th Class (Poland) War Cross, 1st Class (Greece) Commander, Order of the Seal of Solomon (Ethiopia) Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange Nassau (Netherlands) War Cross (Czechoslovakia) Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA)

Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, KStJ, PC (5 May 1883 – 24 May 1950) was a senior officer of the British Army. He served in the Second Boer War, the Bazar Valley Campaign and the Great War, during which he was wounded in the Second Battle of Ypres. He served in the Second World War, initially as Commander-in-Chief Middle East, in which role he led British forces to victory over the Italians in western Egypt and eastern Libya during Operation Compass in December 1940, only to be defeated by the German Army in the Western Desert in April 1941. He served as Commander-in-Chief, India, from July 1941 until June 1943 (apart from a brief tour as Commander of ABDACOM) and then served as Viceroy of India until his retirement in February 1947.