Francis de Guingand

Francis de Guingand
Major General de Guingand, Chief of Staff 21st Army Group, at his desk, 1944
Born	(1900-02-28)28 February 1900 Acton, England
Died	29 June 1979(1979-06-29) (aged 79) Cannes, France
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1919–1946
Rank	Major-General
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	KBE (1944) CB (1943) CBE (1943) DSO (1942) OBE (1941?) MID (1943) (1945) (1945) Legion of Merit (Commander) (USA 1945) Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau: with Swords (Netherlands, 1946) DSM (USA 1948)

Major-General Sir Francis Wilfred de Guingand KBE, CB, DSO (28 February 1900 – 29 June 1979), better known as Freddie de Guingand, was a British Army officer who served with Montgomery from El Alamein to the surrender of the Wehrmacht in the West. He served as Montgomery's staff officer for a period of over two and a half years. He played an important diplomatic role in sustaining relations between the notoriously difficult Montgomery and his peers and superiors.

De Guingand was born in Acton (West London), the second of three brothers, and a younger sister. His parents moved to London from Yorkshire.

After the Royal Navy rejected him for being colour blind, he joined the British Army. De Guingand was educated at Ampleforth College and graduated from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1918. He joined the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) in December 1919, and was promoted to lieutenant on 17 December 1921. He was seconded to the King's African Rifles from 1926 to 1931; during this time he was promoted to the temporary rank of captain on 10 June 1929 and to the permanent rank on 8 March 1930.

De Guingand was the Officer Commanding Troops, Nyasaland, 1930–1931 before returning to his regiment in October 1931. He was appointed regimental adjutant in July 1932 and then served as Military Assistant to the Secretary of State for War, 1933–1936, and again 1939-1940. He was promoted major in August 1938.