Mrs Jean Knox, Cbe - Chief Controller and Director, Auxiliary Territorial Service, 1942-3 Art

Jean Marcia Montagu, Baroness Swaythling,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(née Leith-Marshall; 14 August 1908 – 13 December 1993), first married name Knox, was Director of the

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existed until 1 Februa ...

from July 1941 to October 1943.

Early life

She was born on 14 August 1908 to G. G. Leith-Marshall. Before World War II, she lived in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

and was a

housewife A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buying an ...

. She had had no other job pre-war.

Military service

Knox joined the

nearly a year before the outbreak of World War II, in October 1938, and undertook kitchen duties. She became a company commander, in the 2nd Herts Company. On 30 May 1941, she was given a commission in the ATS in the rank of second subaltern, equivalent to

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

. In April 1941, she was promoted to senior commandant (equivalent to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

) and appointed Inspector of the ATS. In that role, she inspected every ATS command and had a seat on the ATS Council. Women at War 1939 - 1945 TR458

On 21 July 1941, she was appointed Director, Auxiliary Territorial Service. She was given the

acting rank An acting rank is a designation that allows a soldier to assume a military rank—usually higher and usually temporary. They may assume that rank either with or without the pay and allowances appropriate to that grade, depending on the nature of t ...

of chief controller (equivalent to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

), while holding the

war substantive Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a m ...

rank of senior commander (equivalent to major). This made her the world's youngest general at that time. One of her first actions as Director was to design a new, well fitting uniform for all ranks of the ATS. On 21 July 1942, she was promoted to war substantive controller (equivalent to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

) and made temporary chief controller. She travelled to Canada in September 1942 to inspect the

Canadian Women's Army Corps The Canadian Women's Army Corps was a non-combatant branch of the Canadian Army for women, established during the Second World War, with the purpose of releasing men from those non-combatant roles in the Canadian armed forces as part of expanding ...

and assisted in its recruiting campaign. She returned to the UK in November following the seven-week trip. On 30 October 1943, she relinquished the appointment of Director, Auxiliary Territorial Service, for health reasons. On 12 December 1943, she relinquished the temporary rank of chief controller and relinquished her commission, thereby retiring in the rank of war substantive controller.

Later life

For six weeks in 1948, Knox was managing director of Peter Jones,

Sloane Square Sloane Square is a small hard-landscaped square on the boundaries of the central London districts of Belgravia and Chelsea, located southwest of Charing Cross, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The area forms a boundary betwe ...

, Chelsea, London. She gave no reason for her resignation in April 1948, but the department store described her appointment as a 'trial run'. Knox died on 13 December 1993, aged 85.

Personal life

In 1935 she married S/Ldr. George Ronald Meldrum Knox son of Lt.-Col. James Meldrum Knox, with whom she had one daughter. They were divorced before 1945. In 1945, she married Stuart Albert Samuel Montagu, 3rd

Baron Swaythling Baron Swaythling, of Swaythling in the County of Southampton, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1907 for the British Jewish Liberal politician, banker and philanthropist, Sir Samuel Montagu, 1st Baronet. He ha ...

, in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

Honours

In the 1943

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

, Knox was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE). She received the insignia of the Order at an investiture ceremony at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

from

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Jean 1908 births 1993 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Auxiliary Territorial Service officers Military personnel from Leicestershire British Army generals of World War II Female army generals British Army major generals