James Cassels (British Army officer)

For other people named James Cassels, see James Cassels (disambiguation).

Sir James Cassels
Field Marshal Sir James Cassels
Nickname	Jim
Born	28 February 1907(1907-02-28) Quetta, British India
Died	13 December 1996(1996-12-13) (aged 89)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1926 - 1968
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands held	6th Airborne Division 1st Commonwealth Division Eastern Command British Army of the Rhine
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War Malayan Emergency
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order

Field Marshal Sir Archibald James Halkett Cassels GCB, KBE, DSO (28 February 1907 - 13 December 1996) was Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army.

Army career

Educated at Rugby School and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst he was commissioned into the Seaforth Highlanders in 1926.^[1]

He served in World War II initially as brigade major of 157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade in France.^[2] In 1940 Lt Colonel Cassels commanded the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (The Black Watch-The Royal Highland Regiment) before promotion to Brigadier.^[3] In September 1940 he became a General Staff Officer with 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division.^[2] In January 1943 he joined 21st Army Group where he became involved in the planning for Operation Overlord.^[2] He went on to command 152nd Infantry Brigade during the Normandy Campaign.^[2] On 28 May 1945 he was appointed General Officer Commanding 51st (Highland) Infantry Division.^[2]

After the War he commanded the 6th Airborne Division in counter-insurgency operations in Palastine and then went on to command the 1st Commonwealth Division during the Korean War.^[4] He and his father General Sir Robert Cassels had the unusual distinction of both being generals on the active list in the same war. He was made General Officer Commanding 1 British Corps in 1953 and Director of Military Training at the War Office in 1954.^[4]

In 1957 he was appointed Director of Operations in Malaya and in 1959 he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command.^[4] Then in 1960 he became Commander of the British Army of the Rhine.^[4] In 1963 he became Adjutant-General.^[4] He served as Chief of the General Staff from 1965 to 1968 when he retired from the British Army.^[5]

Cricket career

Archibald Cassels

Personal information
Full name	Archibald James Halkett Cassels
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm fast-medium/Off spin
Role	All-rounder
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1932-1935	Army
1932	Viceroy's XI
1928	Punjab Governor's XI
1928	Europeans (Lahore)
First-class debut	17 March 1928 Europeans v Hindus
Last First-class	1 June 1935 Army v Cambridge University
Career statistics
Competition	First-class
Matches	5
Runs scored	197
Batting average	39.40
100s/50s	0/2
Top score	72
Balls bowled	954
Wickets	20
Bowling average	20.75
5 wickets in innings	2
10 wickets in match	0
Best bowling	6/51
Catches/stumpings	5/0
Source: CricketArchive, 31 May 2008

A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium/Off spin bowler,^[6] he played first-class cricket between 1928 and 1935^[7] and also represented the Egyptian national team.^[8]

His first recorded match came in 1921 when he played for his school team against Marlborough College at Lord's.^[9] His first-class debut was in 1928 when he played for the Europeans against the Hindus in the Lahore Tournament, a tournament similar to the more famous Bombay Quadrangular Tournament but played in Lahore, then a part of India. He played for a Punjab Governor's XI against Northern India team in his second first-class match later that month, also in Lahore.^[7] He took 6/51 in the second innings of that match,^[10] his best innings bowling performance in first-class cricket.^[6]

He played his next first-class match in Delhi in February 1932, playing for a Viceroy's XI against the Roshanara Club. He played his first first-class match in England that June, playing for the British Army cricket team against the RAF at The Oval,^[7] making his highest first-class score of 72.^[11] The following year he played for the Egyptian national side against HM Martineau's XI in Alexandria, taking five wickets in the second innings of the visitors.^[12]

He played his final first-class match in the 1935 English season, playing for the Army against Cambridge University.^[7] He continued to play cricket at a lower level, playing for Delhi against Lord Tennyson's XI in 1938. After the war, he played twice for the Army against the Royal Navy, in 1948 and 1949, and against Cambridge University in 1949.^[9]

Retirement

In retirement he married Mrs Joy Dickson following the death of the first Lady Cassels.

References

1. ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 79
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Heathcote, Anthony pg 80
3. ^ Officers 1TS, 1TS Second World War History, pg 37-38
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Heathcote, Anthony pg 81
5. ^ Heathcote, Anthony pg 82
6. ^ ^{a b} CricketArchive profile
7. ^ ^{a b c d} First-class matches played by Archibald Cassels at CricketArchive
8. ^ Teams played for by Archibals Cassels at CricketArchive
9. ^ ^{a b} Other matches played by Archibald Cassels at CricketArchive
10. ^ Scorecard of Punjab Governor's XI v Northern India, 24 March 1938 at CricketArchive
11. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1998 Obituaries
12. ^ Scorecard of Egypt v HM Martineau's XI, 24 April 1933 at CricketArchive

Further reading

• Obituary: Daily Telegraph 21 December 1996
• Heathcote, T.A. (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736-1997. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-696-5

Military offices
Preceded by Eric Bols	General Officer Commanding the 6th Airborne Division March 1946–December 1946	Succeeded by Eric Bols
Preceded by Sir Dudley Ward	GOC 1st (British) Corps 1953 – 1954	Succeeded by Sir Hugh Stockwell
Preceded by Sir Charles Coleman	GOC-in-C Eastern Command 1959–1960	Succeeded by Sir Gerald Lathbury
Preceded by Sir Alfred Ward	Commander-in-Chief of the British Army of the Rhine 1960–1963	Succeeded by Sir William Stirling
Preceded by Sir Richard Goodbody	Adjutant General 1963–1964	Succeeded by Sir Reginald Hewetson
Preceded by Sir Richard Hull	Chief of the General Staff 1965–1968	Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Baker

Persondata
Name	Cassels, Sir James
Alternative names
Short description	Army officer
Date of birth	1907-02-28
Place of birth	Quetta, British India
Date of death	1996-12-13
Place of death