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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 ...
John Frederick Boyce Combe (1 August 1895 – 12 July 1967) was a
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
officer before and during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. He was twice awarded the
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
for his service in the Western Desert campaign before being captured in April 1941 and spending nearly two and a half years as a prisoner of war in Italy. Released in September 1943 when Italy withdrew from the Axis, he made his way back to Allied territory and from October 1944 until the end of the war commanded an armoured brigade.


Early life

John Frederick Boyce Combe was the son of Captain Christian Combe and
Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inf ...
Jane Seymour Conyngham. In 1914, Combe joined B Squadron of the
11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army established in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the First World War and Second World War but then amalgamated with the 10th Royal Hussars (Pri ...
.


Second World War

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
Combe was the
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of the 11th Hussars for the initial stages of the Western Desert campaign during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. He had been promoted lieutenant colonel to take command in September 1939, and was partly responsible for the high level of training that prepared the regiment for the battles in
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. Under Combe's command, the regiment played a part during the early British raids into Libya and as part of the cover force for the Western Desert Force (WDF) during the
Italian invasion of Egypt The Italian invasion of Egypt () was an offensive in the Second World War, against British, Commonwealth and Free French forces in the Kingdom of Egypt. The invasion by the Italian 10th Army () ended border skirmishing on the frontier and ...
. The 11th Hussars were part of the divisional troops of the WDF's 7th Armoured Division


Combe Force

Combe played a major part in the defeat of the
Italian Tenth Army The 10th Army ( it, 10ª Armata) was a field army of the Royal Italian Army, which fought in World War I and in Italian North Africa during World War II. World War I Formation After the Battle of Caporetto (November 1917) the Italian Army (Re ...
during
Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
. He was appointed to command an ''ad hoc'' mobile
flying column A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ''ad hoc'' unit, formed during the course of operations. The term is usually, though not necessarily, appli ...
known as " Combe Force," comprising a squadron of 11th Hussars, B Squadron
1st King's Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed the 2nd Ki ...
, C Battery
Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. (Although the cavalry link r ...
(RHA), some anti-tank guns from 106th Regiment RHA and the 2nd Battalion
Rifle Brigade The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Ri ...
. In February 1941, Combe and "Combe Force" cut off the retreating Italians at Beda Fomm. The Italians were forced to halt and in spite of very determined attempts over two days, were unable to break through Combe Force's defensive lines. Unable to move forward and picked off by attacks from their flank by 4th Armoured Brigade and from the rear by the 7th Support Group, the bulk of the Tenth Army surrendered. Some 25,000 prisoners were taken and more than 100 medium tanks as well as over 100 guns were destroyed or captured.


Prisoner of War

Combe was promoted to temporary
brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...
on 3 April 1941, handing over command of the 11th Hussars to Lieutenant Colonel W. I. Leetham. As a result of
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
's advance from El Agheila, he was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief
Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
,
Archibald Wavell Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, (5 May 1883 – 24 May 1950) was a senior officer of the British Army. He served in the Second Boer War, the Bazar Valley Campaign and the First World War, during which he was wounded i ...
, to accompany another desert-experienced officer, Lieutenant-General
Richard O'Connor General Sir Richard Nugent O'Connor, (21 August 1889 – 17 June 1981) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First and Second World Wars, and commanded the Western Desert Force in the early years of the Second World War. ...
(the former commander of the Western Desert Force which had become the XIII Corps) as adviser to Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame, the commander of HQ Cyrenaica Command (the successor to XIII Corps). On the night of 6 April 1941, Combe was travelling by car with Neame and O'Connor from their Advanced HQ at Msus to its new location at Tmimi. They were captured by the Germans and taken to mainland
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
to be held as
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
(POW). He was initially sent to the Villa Orsini near
Sulmona Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...
in the Abruzzo, where he was amongst other distinguished officers, apart from Neame and O'Connor they included, Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd, and Major General
Adrian Carton de Wiart Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart, (; 5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963) was a British Army officer born of Belgian and Irish parents. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "i ...
. He was later transferred to another camp, Castello di Vincigliata PG12 near Florence. He settled into camp life becoming one of the gardeners, as well as keeping sixteen hens, "and tended them like a mother." He was an enthusiastic escaper, taking it turns in tunnelling and one of the six officers to escape in April 1943. He was caught the next morning in Milan railway station, whilst studying a timetable.


Partisans in Italy

He escaped from Vincigliata again with all remaining officers and men during the Italian Armistice in September 1943. He reached Camaldoli with Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame, Lieutenant General Sir Richard O'Connor and other British officers. In Romagna, he joined the Italian partisans led by ''Libero'' the
nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...
of Riccardo Fedel. During the winter of 1943–44 this partisan group helped Combe and other Allied prisoners to escape. They included Brigadier "Rudolf" Vaughan, Brigadier "Ted" Todhunter, Captain Guy Ruggles-Brise and Lieutenant "Dan" Ranfurly. In March 1944 with the help of Italian guides, they made an astonishing walk across the mountains in snow, to keep a rendezvous with agents on the coast. The group acquired a leaking fishing boat and eventually arrived at Allied lines in May 1944. Combe, Todhunter and Ranfurly arrived in Algiers on 12 May and were flown to England.


Back with Eighth Army

After his escape Combe re-joined Eighth Army. In October 1944 he was given command of 2nd Armoured Brigade (which position he held until after the German surrender) and had his substantive (permanent) rank advanced from lieutenant colonel to colonel.


Post war

After the end of hostilities in Europe, Combe had brief periods as an acting major general. He became the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 78th Infantry Division and then the 46th Infantry Division, both based in Austria. In October 1946, his rank of major general was made permanent and he was appointed Deputy GOC British Troops Austria. He retired from the army in October 1947, but continued to hold the ceremonial post of the 11th Hussar's
Colonel of the Regiment Colonel (Col) is a rank of the British Army and Royal Marines, ranking below brigadier, and above lieutenant colonel. British colonels are not usually field commanders; typically they serve as staff officers between field commands at battalio ...
, which he had been appointed in July 1945. He held this post for 12 years. It was as Colonel of the Regiment that he took part in
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 In ...
's funeral procession, in 1952, positioned behind the coffin. Combe died on 12 July 1967.


Marriage

On 21 July 1947, Combe married Helen Violet Gosling, widow of Major George "Sqeaker" Gosling and daughter of Major Lord Percy St. Maur and Hon. Violet White.


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * *


External links and sources

* * Playing with Strife', The Autobiography of a Soldier, Lt-Gen. Sir Philip Neame, V.C., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1947, 353 pages, (written whilst a POW, the best narrative of Vincigliata as Campo PG12, contains a scale plan of Castello di Vincigliata, and photographs taken by the author just after the war) * 'Farewell Campo 12', Brigadier James Hargest, C.B.E., D.S.O. M.C., Michael Joseph Ltd, 1945, 184 pages contains a sketch map of Castello Vincigliata page 85, route of capture and escape 'Sidi Azir – London (inside front cover),(no index) * 'Always To-Morrow', 1951, John F Leeming, George G Harrap & Co. Ltd, London, 188p, Illustrated with photographs and maps, (Tells of the authors' experiences as a prisoner of the Italians during World War II) * 'War in Italy 1943–1945', 1994, A Brutal Story, Richard Lamb, Saint Martin's Press, New York, 328 pages, * Natale Graziani, ''La Resistenza armata nell'Appennino forlivese e cesenate dal Rapporto segreto dei generali inglesi di Brigata J.F.B. Combe e E.J. Todhunter'', in "Studi Romagnoli", LX, Società di Studi Romagnoli, 2009, p. 1 e ss. * Natale Graziani, ''La prima Resistenza armata in Romagna. Autunno 1943-primavera 1944'', Milano, Fondazione Comandante Libero, 2010,
Generals of World War II
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