Eric Dorman-Smith

Eric Dorman-Smith

Eric Edward Dorman-Smith (24 July 189511 May 1969), later de-Anglicised to Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan, was a British Army soldier who served in World War II.

He was born in Bellamont Forest, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland. Nicknamed "Chink", he became Commandant of the Middle East Staff College and by December 1940 was sent as an adviser to Major-General Richard O'Connor and the Western Desert Force. Dorman-Smith is sometimes credited with planning Operation Compass and with the discovery of a gap in the Italian lines south of Sidi Barrani.

Until August 6, 1942, when he was sacked, Dorman-Smith, a full colonel but holding the acting rank of major-general, served as chief of staff to Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief Middle East and later Field-Marshal. Dorman-Smith never held any important military positions after this date. To compound his misfortune, Dorman-Smith was later appointed to serve under Neil Ritchie, a man he had heavily criticised during his time in Egypt. He was removed from this post and was unemployed for six months before being given a brigade to command in Italy. He was sacked again after his battalion commanders complained about his leadership. His divisional superior declared him 'unfit for brigade command'.

Dorman-Smith was an unorthodox commander and has attracted contrasting opinions. To some, such as Basil Liddell Hart, he was "...the outstanding soldier of his generation". To others, such as Field Marshal Lord Carver and Alanbrooke, he was a "sinister influence" and the major cause of Auchinleck's dismissal. Montgomery called him "a menace".

Following his sacking, Dorman-Smith fell out with the military establishment, became disillusioned with Britain and in 1949 adopted the Irish name "O'Gowan", later becoming an IRA advisor during the border campaign.

He was a godfather to one of Ernest Hemingway's sons and was a close friend of the author; he is widely believed to be one of the models for Colonel Richard Cantwell, the hero of Hemingway’s novel "Across the River and Into the Trees". Dorman-Smith died from cancer, in Ulster, Ireland on 11 May 1969.

Dorman-Smith's youngest brother, Reginald Dorman-Smith, was Governor of Burma at the time of the Japanese invasion during the Second World War.

References

* [http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/OGOWAN.shtml Profile]
*Smart, Nick. "Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of The Second World War", Pen & Sword. ISBN 1-84415-049-6
*Greacen, Lavinia, "Chink: a biography", by (Macmillan, 1990). ISBN 0-333-45395-6

External links

* [http://rylibweb.man.ac.uk/data2/spcoll/ogowan Dorman-Smith's papers]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dorman-Smith, Major General Sir Eric ‘Chink’ — 1895–1969    Dorman Smith was a British General who held command in the Desert War. He was stationed in India when the war broke out but he had himself transferred to be Commandant in the Middle East Staff College in Halfa in 1940. He was able to …   Who’s Who in World War Two

  • Reginald Dorman-Smith — Colonel Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman Smith GBE (1899 ndash; 1977) was a British diplomat, soldier and politician.In politicsDorman Smith started his career with a strong interest in agriculture, becoming President of the National Farmers Union at the …   Wikipedia

  • Reginald Dorman-Smith — Oberst Sir Reginald Hugh Dorman Smith GBE (* 10. März 1899 im County Cavan, Ulster, Vereinigtes Königreich von Großbritannien und Irland; † 20. März 1977 in Midhurst, Sussex) war ein britischer Diplomat, Soldat und Politiker. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Dorman — (or Dohrman) is a surname originating in Germany with the spelling of Döhrmann, but mostly found in Austria, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ukraine, Jamaica and France. It may refer to: Andy Dorman (born 1982), Welsh football (soccer)… …   Wikipedia

  • People with the surname Smith — Smith is one of the most widely distributed surnames in the English speaking world. Following is a list of notable people with the surname Smith:People known primarily as having the surname Smith Common combinations of given name and surname… …   Wikipedia

  • Paul M. Dorman High School — Location 1050 Cavalier Way, Roebuck, South Carolina Information Type Public high school Established 1964 Principal Kenneth Kiser (Main), Mark Smith (Freshman) Enrollment …   Wikipedia

  • Cootehill — Muinchille   Town   …   Wikipedia

  • List of World War II topics (E) — # E. Frederic Morrow # E. Howard Hunt # E. Ion Pool # E. Lloyd Du Brul # E. R. Stephenson # E. S. Gosney # E. V. Loustalot # E. William Exshaw # Earffel Tower (Paris) # Earl E. Anderson # Earl G. Harrison # Earl Johnson (athlete) # Earl Johnson… …   Wikipedia

  • Freddie de Guingand — Francis de Guingand Major General Sir Francis de Guingand Born 1900 Died 1979 …   Wikipedia

  • Liste De Personnes Associées À La Seconde Guerre Mondiale — Cet article contient dans la première section, une liste de listes de personnalités associées à la Seconde Guerre mondiale ; dans les sections suivantes, des listes de personnes, par pays, associées à la même guerre. Article principal  …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”