Officers upper age limits

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Phaethon, Jul 20, 2011.

  1. Phaethon

    Phaethon Historian

    I've been puzzled for a while about why a commanding officer in the CG (lt. Col) should have so suddenly left to be the 2 i/c of another battalion in the war (major). I was convinced it was something to do with his age, and recently this was supported when I read something about Montgommery ordering that all officers over the age of 40 serving overseas should be replaced.

    Can anyone here confirm this to be true or what the precise ruling was?

    If so, this would explain why he is burried as a Major.
     
  2. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    I have not got the Neil Hamilton trilogy out of storage - there is a Monty tale of a divisional training run, he stipulated that all including himself would do the run, officers over a certain age, I cannot remember the age - would fast walk the course. One senior officer complained that he might suffer an heart attack. The tale has it that Monty, said, 'better to die on the run than when in command of men in the field!'
     
  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    What was his substantive rank?
    Was he wounded whilst C.O.?
     
  4. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    I have not got the Neil Hamilton trilogy out of storage - there is a Monty tale of a divisional training run, he stipulated that all including himself would do the run, officers over a certain age, I cannot remember the age - would fast walk the course. One senior officer complained that he might suffer an heart attack. The tale has it that Monty, said, 'better to die on the run than when in command of men in the field!'

    This occurred after Monty was promoted to Lt-General on 22 July 1940 and took over V Corps.

    At page 72 of 'The Memoirs Of Field-Marshall Montgomery' he says:

    "...I ordered that at every headquarters the whole staff, officers and men, would turn out one afternoon each week and do a seven mile run. This applied to everyone under forty, and there would be no exception; those who didn't want to run the whole course could walk or trot, but they must go round the course even if they walked the whole way. There were many protests; but they all did it, even those over forty, and they enjoyed it in the end - some of them. I remember the case of a stout old colonel who went to the doctor and said if he did run it would kill him; the doctor brought him to see me with the recommendation that he should be excused. I asked him if he truly thought he would die if he did the run; he said yes, and I saw a hopeful look in his eye. I then said that if he was thinking of dying it would be better to do it now, as he could be replaced easily and smoothly; it is always a nuisance if officers die when the battle starts and things are inclined to be hectic. His state of health was clearly not very good, and I preferred him to do the run and die. He did the run and so far as I know he is still alive today."

    He goes on to explain that he wanted to get rid of the 'dead wood' and get keen and efficient young officers in. No mention is made of an upper age limit for CO's.

    Best,

    Steve.
     

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