Claude Auchinleck file photo [592]

Claude Auchinleck

SurnameAuchinleck
Given NameClaude
Born21 Jun 1884
Died24 May 1981
CountryUnited Kingdom
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseClaude John Eyre Auchinleck, "the Auk", was born in Aldershot to a poor family. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1904 after he completed studies at Wellington College. He was commissioned to the 62nd Punjab Regiment where he gained combat experience in the Middle East and Egypt. Shortly before WW2 started, he was promoted to the rank of major general, commanding the Meerut District in India in 1938.

ww2dbaseOn 7 May 1940, he was in charge of Allied forces of 25,000 British, French, and Polish troops in Norway. He was successful in capturing Narvik on 28 May, but the operations overall failed to deprive the German Kriegsmarine from using Norwegian ports and fjords as submarine bases. He was ordered to withdraw from Norway not long afterwards. He was criticized by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as too conservative, stressing too much on safety and certainty.

ww2dbaseAfter a brief time as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command he was transferred to Indian as the commander-in-chief there in Jul 1940. In Jul 1941 Auchinleck became commander-in-chief of Allied forces in the Middle East (including North Africa). He saw initial success at El Agheila (Jan 1942), but Erwin Rommel's German forces picked up momentum and started to push back Auchinleck's forces. Tobruk fell to Rommel on 21 Jun 1942 after Rommel received reinforcements from Tripoli. The fall of Tobruk was a political blow to Churchill, especially at the cost of 35,000 British troops captured. However, before the fall of Tobruk, the British troops were able to wear down Rommel's forces so that he was unable to launch another offensive until he could receive more reinforcement. Auchinleck attempted to reorganize the infantry units to fight in a more coordinated fashion with the armored units, but only achieving limited success. He was demanded by Churchill to launch a major offensive against Rommel, but refused based on his feeling that his troops were not ready. On 8 Aug 1942, he was relieved of duty by Churchill in person, with two men assigned to replace him: Harold Alexander took over the theater commander role while Bernard Montgomery became the new commander of the Eight Army. Auchinleck's reputation suffered neededlessly at the hands of the Montgomery publicity machine after the personnel change, however, he was still considered by Rommel as one of the greatest generals that the German had ever faced in war.

ww2dbaseAfter being relieved of his duty, he returned to India and was unassigned until 20 Jun 1943 when he once again became commander-in-chief of the Indian Army after his predecessor Archibald Wavell became the viceroy of India. He was knighted and promoted field marshal in Jun 1945.

ww2dbaseAfter some political disagreements over the India/Pakistan partition, he was forced by Lord Mountbatten to resign in Aug 1947. He also suffered personal issues as his wife left him for another officer in 1946. He returned to Britain in 1948 and held administrative posts. He retired in 1968 and moved to Marrakesh, Morocco, where he was cared for by Corporal Malcolm James Millward. Auchinleck passed away in Marrakesh in 1981. He was remembered for his integrity and his popularity among the common soldiers.

ww2dbaseSources: Spartacus Educational, Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Aug 2005

Photographs

Winston Churchill, Leslie Morshead, Claude Auchinleck, and W. H. C. Ramsden (background) at 9th Australian Division headquarters, El Alamein, Egypt, 5 Aug 1942Montgomery with Viceroy Wavell and Field Marshal Auchinleck at Viceregal Gardens, New Delhi, India, 17 Jun 1946

Claude Auchinleck Timeline

21 Jun 1884 Claude Auchinleck was born.
26 Feb 1942 An irritable Churchill took General Auchinleck to task over lack of offensive spirit in North Africa.
8 Mar 1942 An annoyed Winston Churchill, not satisfied with Cairo's reasons for not attacking at Gazala, summoned the British C-in-C Middle East back to London, England, United Kingdom to "confer with him about the situation".
19 Aug 1943 From Britain, Claude Auchinleck cabled Winston Churchill in Canada, attempting to convince the British Prime Minister to decrease the number of brigades to be assigned to Orde Wingate to only three; Wingate had requested eight.
21 Aug 1943 Claude Auchinleck compromised in regards to Orde Wingate's demands, offering to provide him with five brigades (Wingate had wanted eight) for operations in Burma.
20 May 1945 Claude Auchinleck had lunch with Winston Churchill, during which Auchinleck noted to Churchill that William Slim was among the best generals in the British Army and recommended the appointment of Slim to succeed him as Commander-in-Chief, India.
24 May 1981 Claude Auchinleck passed away.




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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Rob says:
31 Jul 2010 10:20:55 AM

--Auchinleck didn't resign on 15 August 1947 because of a disagreement with Mountbatten. He didn't resign at all, for any reason.
--He ceased being C in C Indian Army on 14 August because the Indian Army he commanded split into the Indian Army and the Pakistanian Army on that date, as their nations attained independence on 15 and 14 August respectively. See Special India Army Order 79/S/47 14 August 1947 Discontinuation of India Army Orders: "This is the last India Army Order".
--He was then appointed to a special oversight command and supervised the division of resources between the two armies, and the withdrawal of British forces from India and Pakistan, until that command ended some three months later.
--See the pertinent chapter of John Connell's "Auchinleck: A Critical Biography".
2. jarrar says:
2 Oct 2010 01:59:20 PM

Please i need pictures/photographs of FM sir Auchinleck.where i can find
3. malika suhail says:
4 Dec 2011 03:01:33 PM

i'm sorry to read as malcolm he take care of him in fact i did take care of him paying he bills ,doctor and his maid and his driver i took them to court as the used to steal from him and not doing they job as i speak french and Arabic made life of malcolm millward easy all he was doing wright a report to the embassy to tell the what happened.and the reason he did get the job when he was in england to go to morocco because me and i believe my name sould be mention for my hard work and care i gave to sir Claude auchinleck,he pend time with me at my house plenty time special on the Christmas ,i have photos of with us on the picnic and my hose with my son and me
4. Anonymous says:
4 Dec 2011 03:06:23 PM

i have pictures i took of him in1980
5. malika suhail says:
4 Dec 2011 03:18:33 PM

sir Claude auchinleck passed way in marrakech and been buried in Casablanca Ben elmsik as i was there in his funeral and is wakening
6. Zuhaib Muhsin says:
25 Dec 2012 05:50:04 AM

I do have pictures of Sir claude and if any one have sir Auks pix with Quid e Azam and some clear pictures please do share me on said e mail address........... zmbaloch117@gmail.com
7. davide says:
15 Oct 2014 05:31:41 AM

hallo, I m very much interested in Sir Claude life and I ve original Connel book signed by him and by O'Connor too. I ve readen many topics on him as one of my main "hobby" is study the story of last century and mainly WW2, and he's a pure great hero to me . I will be delighted to watch some photos of him during late life in Morocco or elsewhere . i've readen that he was a painter too ? thaks a lot Davide , if any reply i will give u my mail.
8. davide says:
18 Oct 2014 05:03:41 AM

about my above message request , my mail is : cosmdav@libero.it
many thanks for yr kind help in this regards or suggestion , davide
9. Vijay Kumar Pandya says:
28 Mar 2017 05:00:36 AM

My uncle Shri Krishna Dave s/o G .N
Dave was recruited in British Indian army in ww2 as Storekeeper as per details below
OUN/582
25 INF.Bde.Tpt Coy.
Middle East Force
He was captured at mersa Matruh & fallen pow in Italian hands on 28-6 -1942 in cocentration camp 91. Military post 3300.
He was handed over to Germany on
13 -9-1943.his details are as below:-
POW. No. 8108
Stalag12A
His last but one letter received was of
27-2-1945 communicating about his
Sickness having Malarial fever.

His last letterwith Russian stamp received of dated 26 June 1945 stating that " I am in Risky hand & that he will soon repatriate and be
Able to come home".
He never repatriated nor he came to his home.
I will be very grateful in person to
To the individual or institution for giving me the information fabout the
Not repatriating. my uncle.how my uncle reached in Russian hands.
I am very thankful to the web sight
Owner, developer &it's generated
In war we lose or win but even if we win we lose our nearest & dearest one. Kindly lhelp in locating my uncle.
My ad
VK Pandya
283, Lord bank, garhaphatak
JABALPUR,-482002
M.P,( INDIA)
10. Omsingh says:
24 Feb 2021 08:14:18 AM

My grandfather serve with him

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More on Claude Auchinleck
Event(s) Participated:
» Invasion of Denmark and Norway
» Battle of Gazala
» Battle of Mersa Matruh
» First Battle of El Alamein

Claude Auchinleck Photo Gallery
Winston Churchill, Leslie Morshead, Claude Auchinleck, and W. H. C. Ramsden (background) at 9th Australian Division headquarters, El Alamein, Egypt, 5 Aug 1942
See all 2 photographs of Claude Auchinleck


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