Cyril Deverell

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Field Marshal Sir Cyril John Deverell GCB KBE ADC (1874 - 1947) was a British career military officer who served as Chief of the Imperial General Staff between 1936 and 1937. He was one of many famous people who attended the Bedford School.

Deverell received his first command assignment in 1915 during World War I, when he was asked to command the 20th Brigade, 7th Division. The division was present at the Somme. It held a position on the 21st Division's right flank during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge and attacked the Switch Line to the east of High Wood; one of Deverell's men, Theodore William Henry Veale, won the Victoria Cross during this action. Several weeks later, Deverell was given command of the 3rd Division after its commander, Sir Aylmer Haldane, took over VI Corps.

Deverell formally took command on 7 August 1916. He led the division at Arras in 1917, then participated in the latter stages of Passchendaele. He returned to the Somme in 1918, before fighting alongside the Portuguese at the Battle of the Lys. The division participated in the Hundred Days Offensive, finally leading to the German surrender on 11 November.

He commanded that division until 1919, when he took over command of the 53rd (Welsh) Division. In 1921 he moved to India, where he commanded the United Provinces District, served as Quartermaster-General and finally became Chief of the General Staff of India before returning to England in 1931. He became Commander-in-Chief of Western Command and Eastern Command, then served as Aide-de-Camp to King George V before being promoted to field marshal and assuming the position of Chief of the Imperial General Staff on 15 May 1936. He would hold the latter office for 20 months before retiring from active service. He did not serve during World War II.