Eric Dorman-Smith

Major-General Eric Dorman-Smith (born 1895 in Bellamont Forest, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland; died 1969 in Ulster, Ireland) was a British soldier who was known later in life as Eric Edward Dorman O'Gowan after having changed his name to something more Irish-sounding in consonance with his newfound political beliefs.

Related Topics:
Major-General - 1895 - County Cavan - Ireland - 1969 - British - Soldier

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1940 he became commandant of the Middle East Staff College where he gave military advice to General Archibald Wavell and General Claude Auchinleck. In April 1942 he became Director of Military Operations in Cairo and acting deputy chief of staff to the 8th Army.

Related Topics:
1940 - Commandant - Middle East - General - Archibald Wavell - Claude Auchinleck - April - 1942 - Cairo - Chief of staff

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dorman-Smith, nicknamed "Chink", became Commandant of the Middle East Staff College and by December 1940, was sent as an adviser to Major-General O'Connor and the Western Desert Force. Dorman-Smith is credited with planning Operation Compass and with the discovery of a gap in the Italian lines south of Sidi Barrani. He was a godfather to one of Ernest Hemingway's sons and was a close friend of the author.

Related Topics:
Middle East - December - 1940 - Major-General O'Connor - Western Desert Force - Operation Compass - Italian - Sidi Barrani - Godfather - Ernest Hemingway

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Until August 6, 1942, Dorman-Smith served as second in command to Field-Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck when they were sacked along with Wavell; Dorman-Smith never held any important military positions after this date.

Related Topics:
August 6 - 1942 - Field-Marshal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to John Bierman and Colin Smith in their 2002 book ', Dorman-Smith was "a practiced seducer of other men's wives."

Related Topics:
Colin Smith - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Basil Liddell Hart called Dorman-Smith, "...the outstanding soldier of his generation."

Related Topics:
Basil Liddell Hart - Soldier

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following his sacking in 1942, 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 sympathiser and an Irish nationalist republican.

Related Topics:
1949 - IRA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~