Guy Simonds

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Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds inspecting II Canadian Corps in Meppen, Germany, May 31st, 1945.

Guy Granville Simonds, CC, CB, CBE, DSO, CD, (April 23, 1903 - May 15, 1974) was a Canadian Army officer who commanded the II Canadian Corps during World War II. Additionally, he served as acting commander of the Cdn. 1st Army, leading the Allied forces to victory in the Battle of the Scheldt in 1944. After the war, in 1951, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, the head officer of the Canadian Army. He was the youngest officer in the Canadian army to be promoted to the rank of General.

Born in Bury St Edmunds, England on April 23rd, 1903, he immigrated to Canada with his family. He studied at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario between 1921 and 1925 (student # 3521).

On September 27th, 1944, Simonds took charge of the 1st Canadian Army temporarily and led the liberation of the mouth of the Scheldt River. Simonds replaced General H.D.G. Crerar on a temporary basis. While Simonds resumed his command of II Canadian Corps for the liberation of North-Western Europe, Crerar resumed command with the 1st Army.

In 1944, Simonds devised the "Kangaroo", an early armoured personnel carrier converted from non-operational armoured vehicles.

As Commander of the Royal Military College of Canada, he returned to Canada in 1949.

In 1970 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. He died in Toronto on May 15th, 1974.

[edit] References

Lieutenant-General Guy G. Simonds. Juno Beach Centre. Retrieved on February 13, 2005.
The Battle for the Rhine 1944, 2005, Robin Neillands (chapter 7, The Battle for the Scheldt)