GENERAL AND CRICKETER

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5308, 22 January 1947, Page 2

GENERAL AND CRICKETER

SIR MILES DEMPSEY'S RAPID RISE TO SENIORITY. It was once said of General Sir Miles Ohristopher Dempsey ("of the Rhine") that if he had not been such a serious and scientific soldier, he might have played Test ericket for England. Several days ago, according to cable advices, ihe General , a 49-year-old xachelor, was appointed' chairman of ihe British Racecourse Betting Con:rol Board. At £6000 a year, the job will pay lim £2000 more than his Army pay. For many years until the early days >f World War II, General Dempsey xpened the batting for the Army XI. He played on many occasions for bis county club, Sussex — for whom the great Ranijitsinhji appeared and the ilmost equally great Maurice Tate. Few senio- officers in the British Army have had the meteoric rise of General Dempsey. Firom LieutenantColonel in 4939 to acting 'LieutenantGeneral in 1944 nt the tender age (for Lieut-Generals) of 47, Dempsey was promoted over the heads of many seniors. Dempsey was famous in many theatres of World War II, culminating in his command of the Second1 Army in .he invasion of France. During the battle of Caen (Normandy), Dempsey called upon Bomber Command for an absolute effort in support of his Second Army. Dempsey wanted to miss nothing, so he went up during the raid to do his own spotting in a captured FieslerStorch reconnaissance plane with an A.ir Marshal for a pilot. Infantry Opened Up. For nearly an hour the pair ranged over the British line. The story g'oes that just as 800 British bombers were seen on their way to 'battle, there was an ear-spjit— ;ing crash and all t'he ack-ack in the area seemed1 to open up on the tiny plane, which had British markings. "Put her down, for the love of Mike," yelled the General, and down it went. Before the plane had come to a stop, the nearest Allied infantry had opened up, so Dempsey promptly stuck his "brass hat" on a swag'ger stick as identification. After a while the s'hooting stopped and up came a rather sheepish offieer. "Where's your identity card " he demanded. The rest of that story was probably iensored. After the final victory in Europe, Dempsey, in July, 1945, suceeded General Sir William Slim in command )f tbe 14th Army then at Singapore. His last appointment was as Comman-jr-in-Chief Middle East. Finally, General Dempsey brings to his big betting job, which ibegins next July, a ilcnowledge of 'horses excelled xy few people in Bi'itain.