born Dec. 10, 1891, London, Eng.
died June 16, 1969, Slough, Buckinghamshire
British field marshal in World War II. In 1940 he helped direct the Dunkirk evacuation and was the last man to leave the beaches.
Appointed British commander in chief in the Mediterranean theatre in 1942, he helped lead the North Africa Campaign against the Germans. He directed the invasions of Sicily and Italy, then became commander in chief of Allied forces in Italy. After the war, he served as governor-general of Canada (194652) and as Britain's minister of defense (195254).