John Ormsby Evelyn Vandeleur

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Brigadier John Ormsby Evelyn 'JOE' Vandeleur DSO and Bar, ON (14 November 1903 – 4 August 1988) was a British Army officer who served in the Second World War.

His family was originally from Kilrush, County Clare, where they were the local landlords. Vandeleur was born in Nowshera, India (now Pakistan).

He was commissioned into the Irish Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1924, serving in Sudan and Egypt before the war.

As Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion Irish Guards he lead the breakout of XXX Corps during Operation Market-Garden. His cousin Lieutenant-Colonel Giles Vandeleur was acting Commanding Officer of the 2nd Armoured Battalion Irish Guards. He went on to command the 129th Brigade and 32nd Brigade.

He retired from the Army in 1951. His memoirs "A Soldier's Story" were privately printed by Gale & Polden in 1967.

In the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, Michael Caine played J.O.E. and Michael Byrne played Giles Vandeleur. Brigadier Vandeleur (ret.) acted as Military Consultant to the production.

Vandelur died in Maidenhead, England at the age of 84.

He lived out his life after the war in a magnificent manor house in Pinkneys Green, near Maidenhead in Berkshire

He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery. His grave marked by a simple headstone enscribed only "J.O.E.V" and underneath "ONCE AN IRISH GUARD"