General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sir Nevil Charles Dowell Brownjohn, (25 July 1897 – 21 April 1973) was a senior

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer who served as

Quartermaster-General to the Forces The Quartermaster-General to the Forces (QMG) is a senior general in the British Army. The post has become symbolic: the Ministry of Defence organisation charts since 2011 have not used the term "Quartermaster-General to the Forces"; they simply ...

from 1956 until his retirement in 1958. A graduate of

Malvern College Malvern College is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging coeducational boarding school, boarding and day school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school ...

and

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of Officer (armed forces), commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers o ...

, Brownjohn was commissioned into the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

in April 1915 and served in France and Palestine in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

in 1917. He attended the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

from 1931 to 1932. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he rose to the rank of major general, and was the Deputy Chief of Staff (G-4) in charge of

logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...

at General

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

SHAEF Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allies of World War II, Allied forces in northwest Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. US General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the ...

, and was Deputy Quartermaster-General in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. After the war he took charge of Administration for the

British Army of the Rhine British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

and then joined the Control Commission (British Sector) for Germany in 1947. He became Vice Quartermaster General at the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

in 1949 and Vice Chief of Imperial General Staff in 1950. He was Chief Staff Officer at the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

from 1952 to 1955 when he became

Military career

Nevil Charles Dowell Brownjohn was born in

Richmond, Surrey Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...

, England, on 25 July 1897, the son of Arthur Dowell Brownjohn. He was educated at

and the

. He was nicknamed "BJ". Brownjohn was commissioned into the

in April 1915, and served with its Signals branch in the

in France and Palestine, where he was awarded the

in 1917. When the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

was separated from the Royal Engineers in 1920, Brownjohn remained with the Royal Engineers. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 29 November 1922. Already fluent in French, Brownjohn became an interpreter in Russian. In 1927 he was sent to China to protect the international settlement in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

; he used his skills as a Russian speaker to raise a works company of White Russians headed by a former Tsarist engineer officer. He married Isabelle White in 1929; they had one son. After attending the

from 1931 to 1932, where he graduated with an "A" grading, Brownjohn was posted to the

as a GSO3 on 1 April 1934. He then and became

brigade major A brigade major was the chief of staff of a brigade in the British Army. They most commonly held the rank of major, although the appointment was also held by captains, and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section direct ...

at the School of Military Engineering on 1 March 1936. He was breveted as a lieutenant colonel on 1 January 1938, and returned to the War Office as a GSO2 on 1 September 1938. He was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant colonel on 26 May 1939. Brownjohn served in the

, initially in the War Office. He became an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

on 1 July 1941 in the

1941 Birthday Honours The King's Birthday Honours 1941 were appointments in the British Empire of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of various countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official bir ...

, and was promoted to the substantive rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

18 September 1941, with seniority backdated to 1 January 1941. He was brigadier, general staff, Home Forces, from 1941 to 1942. He was granted the acting rank of major general non 27 July 1942, and the temporary rank on 27 July 1943. He was deputy Major General, Administration at Home Forces from 1942 to 1943. In 1943 he joined the staff of the chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (Designate) (COSSAC) as the Principal Administrative Officer (PAO), and in this role was involved in developing the supply and administrative arrangements for

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

. When COSSAC was absorbed into General

in February 1944, Brownjohn became the Deputy Chief of Staff (G-4), the staff officer responsible for

under the American staff system. He remained in the role in charge until he was appointed Deputy Quartermaster-General in the

in August 1944. He was made a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

in the

1944 Birthday Honours The 1944 King's Birthday Honours, celebrating the official birthday of King George VI, were announced on 2 June 1944 for the United Kingdom and British Empire, New Zealand, and South Africa. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they ...

on 8 June 1944. He was promoted to the substantive rank of major general on 10 December 1945, with seniority backdated to 17 April 1944. He was awarded the American

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

on 17 October 1946 and the American

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...

with Silver Palm on 14 May 1948 After the war Brownjohn took charge of Administration for the

, and then in 1947 he joined the Allied Control Commission (British Sector) for Germany, where his fluency in French and Russian was put to use. For this service, he was made a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

on 9 June 1950 in the

1950 Birthday Honours The King's Birthday Honours 1950 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the ...

. He became Vice

at the War Office in 1949. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on 18 February 1950, when he became Vice Chief of Imperial General Staff, a position he held until 22 October 1952. He became a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

on 1 January 1951. Brownjohn was Chief Staff Officer at the

from 1 December 1952 to 1 December 1956, when he became

. He was promoted to

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

on 10 November 1953. He became

colonel commandant Colonel commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive military rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels. Today, the holder often has an honor ...

of the Royal Engineers on 31 January 1955, a position he held until he retired from the Army on 29 November 1958. He was created a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the 1957 Birthday Honours on 13 June 1957. He retired in 1958.

Later life

After retiring from the Army, he became the Chairman of the

Crawley Development Corporation Crawley Development Corporation was set up in February 1947 by the Government of the United Kingdom to establish, administer and control the development of the New towns in the United Kingdom, New Town of Crawley in accordance with the New Town ...

and a Member of the Commission for the New Towns, posts he held until he was 69. He also served with charitable organisations and was on the Trustee Council of the Douglas Haig Memorial Homes. He died on 21 April 1973.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brownjohn, Nevil 1897 births 1973 deaths British Army generals British Army generals of World War II British Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Military personnel from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames People educated at Malvern College People from Richmond, London Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Engineers officers War Office personnel in World War II