John Mogg (British Army officer)

Sir John Mogg
Born	(1913-02-13)13 February 1913
Died	28 October 2001(2001-10-28) (aged 88)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Commands held	9 Bn Durham Light Infantry 10 Bn Parachute Regiment RMC Sandhurst I Corps Strategic Command
Battles/wars	Second World War Malayan Emergency
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) Distinguished Service Order (DSO) & Bar

General Sir Herbert John Mogg, GCB CBE DSO* (17 February 1913 – 28 October 2001) was a senior British Army officer who also held the NATO position of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR).^[1]

He has been described as a popular and affable man. The Guardian newspaper, in his obituary,^[1] sums up his personality and how it influenced what he, and those he worked with, accomplished in his career :

"John Mogg's large frame was combined with an exceptionally genial, warm and sympathetic character, which appealed not only to soldiers of all ranks, but to people in every walk of life, whatever their nationality. In his time, he was probably the British army's most popular general, and finished his career in one of Nato's most influential posts, as deputy supreme allied commander (1973-76) at headquarters at Mons, in Belgium. Here, his sound commonsense and even temperament were valuable in balancing the direct approach, and sometimes abrasive personality, of the supreme commander, the US General Alexander Haig."

Army career

He was educated at Malvern College,^[2] and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. At Malvern, he paid more attention to cricket than to his studies, with the result that, instead of taking the entrance exam for Sandhurst, he chose the alternative route of a Y-cadetship in the Coldstream Guards. After three years in the ranks, he was selected for Sandhurst, where he gained the Sword of Honour in 1936, being commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in August 1937. He was a distinguished commander of the 9th battalion Durham Light Infantry from the Invasion of Normandy to the defeat of Germany. Mogg commanded the 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment between 1950 and 1952.^[3] He was later a brigade commander in the Malayan Emergency before becoming Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1963 and Commander of I Corps in Germany in 1966.^[3] He went on to be General Officer Commanding Southern Command in 1968, General Officer Commanding, Army Strategic Command (n.k.a. Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces) later that year and, finally, Adjutant-General to the Forces in 1970.^[3] With NATO, he was DSACEUR between 1973 and 1976.^[1]

He was ADC General to the Queen from 1971 to 1974,^[3] Colonel Commandant of the Royal Green Jackets from 1965 to 1973^[1] and Commandant of the Army Air Corps from 1963 to 1974.^[3]

He was interested in many sports including boxing, cricket and equestrianism and promoted these inside the army, as well as more generally. Mogg was a president of a number of sports, army and veteran's associations.^[4] He served various charities, mostly connected with the armed services, or adventure training.^[1] Including being Chairman of Operation Drake Fellowship (now part of Fairbridge (charity) and Operation Raleigh.^[5]

He was made Vice Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire in 1979.^[4]

There is a school in Detmold, Germany, for children in pre-school and years 1-6 whose parents are serving in the British Army, that is named after Sir John Mogg.^[6] The school was opened on 10 February 1971 by him.^[7]

Family

In 1939 he married Cecilia Margaret Molesworth and together they went on to have three sons.^[2]

References