Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill (25 December 1881 – 4 November 1944) was a senior British Army officer with service in both the First World War and the Second World War.
Born~Died Dec 25, 1881 ~ Nov 4, 1944Last edited Oct 15, 2026, 4:40 PM
Details
Born ~ Died
Dec 25, 1881 ~ Nov 4, 1944
Born
(1881-12-25)25 December 1881, Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland
Died
4 November 1944(1944-11-04) (aged 62), Washington, D.C., United States
Born in Ireland in Lurgan, County Armagh, on 25 December 1881, John Greer Dill's father, also named John, (and who died when the younger John was just twelve years old) was the local bank manager and his mother, Jane, (who died just months after her husband) was a Greer from Woodville, Lurgan.12 With the death of both parents, "John and his sister were then cared for by an uncle, the Reverend Joseph Grundy Burton".2
Always intended for a career in the armed forces, Dill, along with his sister, Nicolina Frances, attended Methodist College Belfast,3 from 1887 to 1889. This was followed by his education at Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire, England and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.14 According to historian , Dill's conduct at Sandhurst were "exemplary" although there "were no indications of the outstanding intelligence for which he would later be noted and his marks were described as mediocre".
This page is based on “John Dill” from English Wikipedia, (r1379818335) CC BY-SA 4.0 used under the license. The original authors are listed in its page history.
From Sandhurst Dill was commissioned on 8 May 1901 as a second lieutenant into the 1st Battalion of the Leinster Regiment,74 one of eight Irish infantry regiments then in existence in the British Army.6 The newly-commissioned young officer was posted to South Africa with his battalion to see out the final stages of the Second Boer War.8 After the end of the war in June 1902, Dill left Cape Town with other men of his battalion on the SS Englishman in late September 1902, arriving at Southampton the following month, from where they were posted to Fermoy.9
Dill, by now a lieutenant since 15 August 190310 (later antedated to 27 May),11 was appointed as his battalion's adjutant on 15 August 1906,12 having previously been assistant adjutant from 1902.1 Promoted to captain on 12 July 1911,134 and by now having "demonstrated an aptitude for staff duties",6 he was seconded to study at the Staff College, Camberley from 1 February 1913,14 and was still there on the outbreak of the First World War eighteen months later.1516
Staff College certainly made Dill; his talents for planning and problem solving were discovered and honed during his year at Camberley and were soon put to the toughest test of all – war.6
After the war Dill, promoted to brevetcolonel in June 1919,29 returned to the Staff College and served as an instructor there.16423 In the 1928 New Year Honours he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).30 In June 1928 he was appointed a temporary brigadier.31 In 1929 he was posted to India and in December 1930 was promoted to the permanent rank of major-general32 before returning to appointments at the Staff College (for in fact the third time but this time as the college's commandant).3334
At the outbreak of the Second World War Dill hoped to be appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, but the position again went to Gort. The resulting vacancy as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was filled by Sir Edmund Ironside, leaving Dill to be eventually posted as commander of I Corps in France on 3 September 1939.4140 He was promoted to general on 1 October 1939 (with seniority backdated to 5 December 1937).424
Faced with the prospect of a German invasion, Dill produced a memorandum on 15 June advocating the use of chemical warfare against an enemy landing. Although acknowledging that first use of chemical weapons would alienate the United States and invite retaliation, he concluded that "at a time when our National existence is at stake ... we should not hesitate to adopt whatever means appear to offer the best chance of success."46
After criticism from the Director of Home Defence and other offices Dill withdrew the memorandum. Nevertheless, the proposal was largely endorsed by Churchill on 30 June and it was ordered that the Royal Air Force begin preparations for deploying mustard gas, although he added that actual employment would need to be ordered by the Cabinet.46
Dill was promoted field marshal on 18 November 1941,47448 but by this time it was clear how poorly he and Churchill got on. Dill gained a reputation as unimaginative and obstructionist.40 Keen to get him out of the way, Churchill at the end of 1941 had Dill advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)49 and posted him to Washington, D.C. as his personal representative where he became Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission,5051 then Senior British Representative on the Combined Chiefs of Staff.52 Dill showed a great flair as a diplomatic military presence. In 1943 alone he attended the Quebec Conference, the Casablanca Conference, the Tehran Conference and meetings in India, China and Brazil. He also served on the Combined Policy Committee set up by the British and United States governments under the Quebec Agreement to oversee the construction of the atomic bomb.51 He was awarded the Howland Memorial Prize in 1944, in part to ensure his continued favour with Churchill.53
In the United States he was immensely important in making the Chiefs of Staff committee – which included members from both countries – function, often promoting unity of action.54 He was particularly friendly with General George Marshall55 and the two exercised a great deal of influence on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who described Dill as "the most important figure in the remarkable accord which has been developed in the combined operations of our two countries".56
Death
Dill served in Washington until his death from aplastic anaemia in November 1944. His funeral arrangements reflected the great professional and personal respect and affection that he had earned. A memorial service was held in Washington National Cathedral and the route of the cortege was lined by some thousands of troops, following which he was interred in Arlington National Cemetery, where a simple service was conducted at the graveside. A witness recorded that "I have never seen so many men so visibly shaken by sadness. [General George] Marshall's face was truly stricken ...". He was sorely missed by the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sent a warm message of condolence to their British colleagues:
We feel we share equally with you the loss to our combined war effort resulting from the death of Field Marshal Sir John Dill. His character and wisdom, his selfless devotion to the allied cause, made his contribution to the combined British-American war effort of outstanding importance. It is not too much to say that probably no other individual was more responsible for the achievement of complete cooperation in the work of the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
... we have looked to him with complete confidence as a leader in our combined deliberations. He has been a personal friend of all of us ...
We mourn with you the passing of a great and wise soldier, and a great gentleman. His task in this war has been well done.57
Churchill, Winston (1985) [1949]. Their Finest Hour. The Second World War. Vol. II. Boston; Toronto: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-395-41056-1.
Danchev, Alex (1991). Keegan, John (ed.). Churchill's Generals. London: Cassell Military. ISBN 0-304-36712-5.
Doherty, Richard (2004). Ireland's Generals in the Second World War. Four Courts Press. ISBN 9781851828654.
Harris, J.P. (2008). Douglas Haig and the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-89802-7.
Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.
Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: A Biographical Guide to the Key British Generals of World War II. Stroud: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0.
Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
Further reading
Danchev, Alex. "Very Special Relationship: Field Marshal Sir John Dill and General George Marshall." online
Danchev, Alex. "'Dilly-Dally', or Having the Last Word: Field Marshal Sir John Dill and Prime Minister Winston Churchill." Journal of Contemporary History 22.1 (1987): 21–44.
Stoler, Mark A. (2003). Allies and Adversaries: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Grand Alliance, and US Strategy in World War II. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
McLeroy, Carrie (2 June 2014). "There's a lot you don't know about Arlington National Cemetery". United States Army. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014. There are only two equestrian monuments at Arlington National Cemetery. The first is for Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney, located in Section 2. The second is Field Marshall Sir John Dill in Section 32. ↩
Born in Ireland in Lurgan, County Armagh, on 25 December 1881, John Greer Dill's father, also named John, (and who died when the younger John was just twelve years old) was the local bank manager and his mother, Jane, (who died just months after her husband) was a Greer from Woodville, Lurgan.12 With the death of both parents, "John and his sister were then cared for by an uncle, the Reverend Joseph Grundy Burton".2
Always intended for a career in the armed forces, Dill, along with his sister, Nicolina Frances, attended Methodist College Belfast,3 from 1887 to 1889. This was followed by his education at Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire, England and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. According to historian , Dill's conduct at Sandhurst were "exemplary" although there "were no indications of the outstanding intelligence for which he would later be noted and his marks were described as mediocre".
From Sandhurst Dill was commissioned on 8 May 1901 as a second lieutenant into the 1st Battalion of the Leinster Regiment,74 one of eight Irish infantry regiments then in existence in the British Army.6 The newly-commissioned young officer was posted to South Africa with his battalion to see out the final stages of the Second Boer War.8 After the end of the war in June 1902, Dill left Cape Town with other men of his battalion on the SS Englishman in late September 1902, arriving at Southampton the following month, from where they were posted to Fermoy.9
Dill, by now a lieutenant since 15 August 190310 (later antedated to 27 May),11 was appointed as his battalion's adjutant on 15 August 1906,12 having previously been assistant adjutant from 1902.1 Promoted to captain on 12 July 1911,134 and by now having "demonstrated an aptitude for staff duties",6 he was seconded to study at the Staff College, Camberley from 1 February 1913,14 and was still there on the outbreak of the First World War eighteen months later.1516
Staff College certainly made Dill; his talents for planning and problem solving were discovered and honed during his year at Camberley and were soon put to the toughest test of all – war.6
After the war Dill, promoted to brevetcolonel in June 1919,29 returned to the Staff College and served as an instructor there.16423 In the 1928 New Year Honours he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).30 In June 1928 he was appointed a temporary brigadier.31 In 1929 he was posted to India and in December 1930 was promoted to the permanent rank of major-general32 before returning to appointments at the Staff College (for in fact the third time but this time as the college's commandant).3334
At the outbreak of the Second World War Dill hoped to be appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, but the position again went to Gort. The resulting vacancy as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was filled by Sir Edmund Ironside, leaving Dill to be eventually posted as commander of I Corps in France on 3 September 1939.4140 He was promoted to general on 1 October 1939 (with seniority backdated to 5 December 1937).424
Faced with the prospect of a German invasion, Dill produced a memorandum on 15 June advocating the use of chemical warfare against an enemy landing. Although acknowledging that first use of chemical weapons would alienate the United States and invite retaliation, he concluded that "at a time when our National existence is at stake ... we should not hesitate to adopt whatever means appear to offer the best chance of success."46
After criticism from the Director of Home Defence and other offices Dill withdrew the memorandum. Nevertheless, the proposal was largely endorsed by Churchill on 30 June and it was ordered that the Royal Air Force begin preparations for deploying mustard gas, although he added that actual employment would need to be ordered by the Cabinet.46
Dill was promoted field marshal on 18 November 1941,47448 but by this time it was clear how poorly he and Churchill got on. Dill gained a reputation as unimaginative and obstructionist.40 Keen to get him out of the way, Churchill at the end of 1941 had Dill advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)49 and posted him to Washington, D.C. as his personal representative where he became Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission,5051 then Senior British Representative on the Combined Chiefs of Staff.52 Dill showed a great flair as a diplomatic military presence. In 1943 alone he attended the Quebec Conference, the Casablanca Conference, the Tehran Conference and meetings in India, China and Brazil. He also served on the Combined Policy Committee set up by the British and United States governments under the Quebec Agreement to oversee the construction of the atomic bomb.51 He was awarded the Howland Memorial Prize in 1944, in part to ensure his continued favour with Churchill.53
In the United States he was immensely important in making the Chiefs of Staff committee – which included members from both countries – function, often promoting unity of action.54 He was particularly friendly with General George Marshall55 and the two exercised a great deal of influence on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who described Dill as "the most important figure in the remarkable accord which has been developed in the combined operations of our two countries".56
Death
Dill served in Washington until his death from aplastic anaemia in November 1944. His funeral arrangements reflected the great professional and personal respect and affection that he had earned. A memorial service was held in Washington National Cathedral and the route of the cortege was lined by some thousands of troops, following which he was interred in Arlington National Cemetery, where a simple service was conducted at the graveside. A witness recorded that "I have never seen so many men so visibly shaken by sadness. [General George] Marshall's face was truly stricken ...". He was sorely missed by the American Joint Chiefs of Staff, who sent a warm message of condolence to their British colleagues:
We feel we share equally with you the loss to our combined war effort resulting from the death of Field Marshal Sir John Dill. His character and wisdom, his selfless devotion to the allied cause, made his contribution to the combined British-American war effort of outstanding importance. It is not too much to say that probably no other individual was more responsible for the achievement of complete cooperation in the work of the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
... we have looked to him with complete confidence as a leader in our combined deliberations. He has been a personal friend of all of us ...
We mourn with you the passing of a great and wise soldier, and a great gentleman. His task in this war has been well done.57
Churchill, Winston (1985) [1949]. Their Finest Hour. The Second World War. Vol. II. Boston; Toronto: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-395-41056-1.
Danchev, Alex (1991). Keegan, John (ed.). Churchill's Generals. London: Cassell Military. ISBN 0-304-36712-5.
Doherty, Richard (2004). Ireland's Generals in the Second World War. Four Courts Press. ISBN 9781851828654.
Harris, J.P. (2008). Douglas Haig and the First World War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-89802-7.
Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.
Mead, Richard (2007). Churchill's Lions: A Biographical Guide to the Key British Generals of World War II. Stroud: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-431-0.
Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.
Further reading
Danchev, Alex. "Very Special Relationship: Field Marshal Sir John Dill and General George Marshall." online
Danchev, Alex. "'Dilly-Dally', or Having the Last Word: Field Marshal Sir John Dill and Prime Minister Winston Churchill." Journal of Contemporary History 22.1 (1987): 21–44.
Stoler, Mark A. (2003). Allies and Adversaries: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Grand Alliance, and US Strategy in World War II. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
McLeroy, Carrie (2 June 2014). "There's a lot you don't know about Arlington National Cemetery". United States Army. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014. There are only two equestrian monuments at Arlington National Cemetery. The first is for Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney, located in Section 2. The second is Field Marshall Sir John Dill in Section 32. ↩