15 Facts About Vyvyan Evelegh

Vyvyan Evelegh served on both the Western and Italian Fronts with the 1st Battalion of his regiment, a Regular Army unit that was part of the 95th Brigade of the 5th Division.

Vyvyan Evelegh was promoted to lieutenant on 1 November 1918, just ten days before the war came to an end on 11 November 1918.

In 1919 Vyvyan Evelegh served with the Allied Relief Mission to North Russia during the Russian Civil War, where he was wounded.

Vyvyan Evelegh was appointed brigade major of the 130th Infantry Brigade of the 43rd Infantry Division, a Territorial Army formation, on 1 April 1935, then brigade major of the 6th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division on 23 May 1937 and seconded to the staff.

Vyvyan Evelegh was brevetted to lieutenant colonel on 1 January 1939, relinquishing his appointment as brigade major on 16 April and was appointed a general staff officer grade 2 on 3 July.

Vyvyan Evelegh saw active service during the Battle of France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, serving on the staff of II Corps, then commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Alan Brooke, and being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for "distinguished services in the field", on 11 July 1940.

Vyvyan Evelegh then served as an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley, was promoted to brigadier and commanded the 11th Infantry Brigade, part of the 4th Infantry Division, from January to November 1941, before returning to the Staff College to serve as assistant commandant.

Vyvyan Evelegh was promoted to the permanent rank of colonel on 18 May 1942 and on 13 June was promoted to the acting rank of major general and the following day was appointed General Officer Commanding of the newly created 78th "Battleaxe" Infantry Division.

Vyvyan Evelegh commanded the 78th Division in North Africa as part of Lieutenant General Charles Allfrey's V Corps, itself part of Lieutenant General Kenneth Anderson's British First Army, seeing action throughout the Tunisian campaign, from November 1942 until the campaign's successful conclusion in mid-May 1943.

Vyvyan Evelegh received a promotion to temporary major general on 13 June 1943.

In December 1943, Vyvyan Evelegh exchanged commands with Major General Charles Keightley, the commander of the 6th Armoured Division, which had fought in Tunisia.

Vyvyan Evelegh returned to the command of the 6th Armoured upon its piecemeal arrival in Italy and commanded it during Operation Diadem, the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino.

Vyvyan Evelegh was promoted to the substantive rank of major general on 29 December 1946.

Vyvyan Evelegh was briefly recalled to the Active List to be specially employed between 2 April and 9 October 1951.

Vyvyan Evelegh was colonel of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry from 1953 until his sudden death in 1958.