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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|British Army officer (1907–1996)}}<br />
{{Other people|James Cassels}}<br />
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
|name= Sir James Cassels<br />
|image= Sir James Cassels in 1968.jpg<br />
|image_size= <br />
|caption= General Sir James Cassels, pictured here in 1968.<br />
|nickname= "Jim"<br />
|birth_date= {{birth date|1907|02|28|df=y}}<br />
|birth_place= [[Quetta]], [[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Baluchistan]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />
|death_date= {{death date and age|1996|12|13|1907|02|28|df=y}}<br />
|death_place= [[Newmarket, Suffolk]], [[England]]<br />
|allegiance= United Kingdom<br />
|branch= [[British Army]]<br />
|serviceyears= 1926–1968<br />
|servicenumber= 36316<br />
|rank= [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]]<br />
|unit= [[Seaforth Highlanders]]<br />
|commands= [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff]] (1965–68)<br/>[[British Army of the Rhine]] (1960–63)<br/>[[Northern Army Group]] (1960–63)<br/>[[Eastern Command (United Kingdom)|Eastern Command]] (1959–60)<br/>[[I Corps (United Kingdom)|I Corps]] (1953–54)<br/>[[1st Commonwealth Division]] (1951–52)<br/>[[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne Division]] (1946)<br/>[[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland) Infantry Division]] (1945–46)<br/>[[152nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|152nd Infantry Brigade]] (1944–45)<br/>1st Battalion, [[Tyneside Scottish]] (1943)<br />
|battles= [[Second World War]]<br/>[[Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Emergency]]<br/>[[Korean War]]<br/>[[Malayan Emergency]]<br />
|awards= [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Distinguished Service Order]]<br/>[[Mentioned in Despatches]]<br/>[[Legion of Merit]] (United States)<br/>[[Order of the Defender of the Realm|Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm]] (Malaysia)<ref>{{cite web<br />
|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1958.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1958.}}</ref><br />
|relations= [[Robert Cassels|Sir Robert Cassels]] (father)<br />
|laterwork= <br />
}}<br />
[[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] '''Sir Archibald James Halkett Cassels''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|KBE|DSO}} (28 February 1907 – 13 December 1996) was a senior [[British Army]] officer who served as [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff]] (CGS), the professional head of the British Army, from 1965 to 1968. As a young man he was a [[first-class cricket]] player, initially playing in India for the Europeans against the Hindus in the Lahore Tournament and going on to play for a Punjab Governor's XI against Northern India team and for a Viceroy's XI against the Roshanara Club. He later played for the [[British Army cricket team]] against the [[Royal Air Force cricket team|RAF]] at [[The Oval]] and then played for the Egyptian national side against [[Hubert Martineau|HM Martineau's XI]] in [[Alexandria]].<br />
<br />
Cassels served in the [[Second World War]] as commander of the [[152nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|152nd Infantry Brigade]], commanding the brigade during [[Operation Goodwood]], [[Operation Totalize]] and [[Operation Veritable]], before becoming General Officer Commanding [[51st (Highland) Division]] in the closing stages of the war. He later commanded the [[1st Commonwealth Division]] in the [[Korean War]] and was General Officer Commanding of the [[I Corps (United Kingdom)|1 (British) Corps]] before becoming director of operations in [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]] during the [[Malayan Emergency]].<br />
<br />
Cassels went on to be commander, [[Northern Army Group]], then General Officer Commanding [[Eastern Command (United Kingdom)|Eastern Command]] and then [[Commander-in-chief|Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C) of the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR). As Chief of the General Staff, he advised the British government on the implementation of the [[1966 Defence White Paper]].<br />
<br />
==Early life and military career==<br />
James Cassels was born in [[Quetta]], [[British Raj|British India]] (now [[Pakistan]]), on 28 February 1907, the son of Robert Cassels (later [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[Robert Cassels|Sir Robert Cassels]]), a [[British Indian Army]] officer, and Florence Emily Cassels (née Jackson).<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/64054 |title=Cassels, Sir (Archibald) James Halkett|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/64054}}</ref> Upon being sent to [[England]], he was educated at [[Rugby School]] and, later, at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]],<ref>Heathcote, Anthony pg 79</ref> where he won the Sword of Honour. [[Passing out (military)|Passing out]] from Sandhurst, Cassels was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Seaforth Highlanders]], a [[line infantry]] regiment of the [[British Army]], on 30 August 1926.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33198|page=5766|date=3 September 1926}}</ref> He was posted to Central India with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment in 1928 and, having been promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 20 August 1929, was appointed [[aide-de-camp]] (ADC) to his father in May 1930.<ref name=pg80>Heathcote, Anthony pg 80</ref> He became [[adjutant]] of the 2nd Battalion, Seaforths, then serving in England and commanded by [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Sir John Laurie, 6th Baronet|Sir John Laurie]], who would feature numerous times in his career, in March 1934 and was promoted to [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] on 22 March 1938.<ref name=pg80/><br />
<br />
==Cricket career==<br />
{{Infobox cricketer<br />
| name = James Cassels<br />
| country = England<br />
| fullname = Archibald James Halkett Cassels<br />
| batting = Right-handed<br />
| bowling = Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]]/[[Off spin]]<br />
| role = [[All-rounder]]<br />
| club1 = [[British Army cricket team|Army]]<br />
| year1 = 1932–1935<br />
| club2 = Viceroy's XI<br />
| year2 = 1932<br />
| club3 = Punjab Governor's XI<br />
| year3 = 1928<br />
| club4 = Europeans (Lahore)<br />
| year4 = 1928<br />
| type1 = First-class<br />
| debutdate1 = 17 March<br />
| debutyear1 = 1928<br />
| debutfor1 = Europeans<br />
| debutagainst1 = Hindus<br />
| lastdate1 = 1 June<br />
| lastyear1 = 1935<br />
| lastfor1 = Army<br />
| lastagainst1 = [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]]<br />
|<br />
| columns = 1<br />
| column1 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]<br />
| matches1 = 5<br />
| runs1 = 197<br />
| bat avg1 = 39.40<br />
| 100s/50s1 = 0/2<br />
| top score1 = 72<br />
| deliveries1 = 954<br />
| wickets1 = 20<br />
| bowl avg1 = 20.75<br />
| fivefor1 = 2<br />
| tenfor1 = 0<br />
| best bowling1 = 6/51<br />
| catches/stumpings1 = 5/0<br />
| date = 31 May<br />
| year = 2008<br />
| source = http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6195/6195.html CricketArchive<br />
}}<br />
<br />
A right-handed [[batsman]] and right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]]/[[Off spin]] [[Bowler (cricket)|bowler]],<ref name="CAP">{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6195/6195.html |title=CricketArchive profile|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> he played [[first-class cricket]] between 1928 and 1935<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6195/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-class matches played by Archibald Cassels|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> and also represented the [[Egypt national cricket team|Egyptian national team]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6195/all_teams.html |title=Teams played for by Archibals Cassels|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
His first recorded match came in 1921 when he played for his school team against [[Marlborough College]] at [[Lord's]].<ref name="OthM">{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6195/Other_matches.html |title=Other matches played by Archibald Cassels| publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> His first-class debut was in 1928 when he played for the Europeans against the Hindus in the Lahore Tournament, a tournament similar to the more famous [[Bombay Quadrangular|Bombay Quadrangular Tournament]] but played in [[Lahore]], then a part of [[India]]. He played for a Punjab Governor's XI against Northern India team in his second first-class match later that month, also in Lahore.<ref name="FCM" /> He took 6/51 in the second [[Innings#Cricket|innings]] of that match,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/12/12592.html |title=Scorecard of Punjab Governor's XI v Northern India, 24 March 1938|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> his best innings bowling performance in first-class cricket.<ref name="CAP" /><br />
<br />
He played his next first-class match in [[Delhi]] in February 1932, playing for a Viceroy's XI against the Roshanara Club. He played his first first-class match in [[England]] that June, playing for the [[British Army cricket team]] against the [[Royal Air Force cricket team|RAF]] at [[The Oval]],<ref name="FCM" /> making his highest first-class score of 72.<ref name="WisObit">{{cite web|publisher=[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]] 1998 |url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228769.htm |title=Obituaries|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref> The following year he played for the Egyptian national side against [[Hubert Martineau|HM Martineau's XI]] in [[Alexandria]], taking five [[Wicket#Dismissing a batsman|wickets]] in the second innings of the visitors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/135/135985.html |title=Scorecard of Egypt v HM Martineau's XI, 24 April 1933|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=27 December 2011}}</ref><br />
<br />
He played his final first-class match in the [[1935 English cricket season|1935 English season]], playing for the Army against [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]].<ref name="FCM" /> He continued to play cricket at a lower level, playing for [[Delhi cricket team|Delhi]] against [[Lionel Tennyson, 3rd Baron Tennyson|Lord Tennyson's XI]] in 1938. After the war, he played twice for the Army against the [[Royal Navy Cricket Club|Royal Navy]], in 1948 and 1949, and against Cambridge University in 1949.<ref name="OthM" /><br />
<br />
==Second World War==<br />
===Service in Britain===<br />
Cassels served in the [[World War II|Second World War]], which began in September 1939. The outbreak of war found Cassels serving in England, and he soon attended a shortened course at the [[Staff College, Camberley]].<ref name="Mead93">Mead, p. 93</ref> In May 1940 he then became a [[brigade major]] with a [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] (TA) unit, the [[157th (Highland Light Infantry) Brigade|157th Infantry Brigade]], commanded by [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] [[Sir John Laurie, 6th Baronet|Sir John Laurie]], formerly Cassels's [[commanding officer]] (CO) in the 2nd Seaforths, part of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] [[James Syme Drew|James Drew]]'s [[52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division]]. The division was sent to [[France]] in June 1940 to bolster the [[French Army]] in the aftermath of the [[British Expeditionary Force (World War II)|British Expeditionary Force]]'s (BEF) [[Dunkirk evacuation|evacuation from Dunkirk]].<ref name="Mead93"/> Cassel's brigade, the first of the 52nd Division's brigades to arrive in France, was, soon after its arrival, ordered to form the right of the [[Tenth Army (France)|French Tenth Army]] at [[Conches-en-Ouche|Conches]], [[Normandy]]. However, the situation was considered to be hopeless and Cassel's brigade was later withdrawn through [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]] on 18 June.<ref name=pg80/> The French signed the [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|second armistice of Compiègne]] just days later.<ref name="Mead93"/><br />
<br />
He remained with the division until October 1941 when he became Deputy Director (Plans) at the [[War Office]].<ref name=pg80/> He returned to the 52nd Division in July 1942, where he became a [[Staff (military)|General Staff Officer Grade 1]] (GSO1) to Major General Sir John Laurie, the division's [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding]] (GOC), who was replaced in September by Major General [[Neil Ritchie]].<ref name="Mead93"/> He remained with the 52nd Division until he received an active command in the shape of the 1st Battalion, [[Tyneside Scottish]] in January 1943.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://70brigade.newmp.org.uk/wiki/Cassels_Archibald_James_Halkett_Lt-Col_36316|title = Cassels Archibald James Halkett Lt-Col 36316 - 70 Brigade}}</ref> The battalion was, along with the 10th and 11th Battalions of the [[Durham Light Infantry]] (DLI), part of the [[70th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|70th Infantry Brigade]] of the [[49th (West Riding) Infantry Division]], whose GOC was Major General [[Henry Curtis (British Army officer)|Henry Curtis]] until he was succeeded in late April by Major General [[Evelyn Barker]].<ref name="Mead93"/> The division had been assigned a leading role in the [[invasion of Normandy]], which was to take place in spring the following year, and training was extremely tough, conducted in Scotland. Cassels was promoted to [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] on 30 August 1943.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36153 |supp=y|page=3880|date=27 August 1943}}</ref> He was not destined to lead the battalion in action, however, as in January 1944 he was promoted to [[Acting (rank)|acting]] [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|brigadier]] and became Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of [[XII Corps (United Kingdom)|XII Corps]], serving again under Neil Ritchie, responsible for the planning for [[Operation Overlord]], the Allied invasion of Normandy.<ref name=pg80/><ref name="Mead93"/><br />
<br />
===Northwest Europe===<br />
In late June Cassels was given command of the [[152nd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|152nd Infantry Brigade]], one of three brigades forming part of the veteran [[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland) Infantry Division]] – the others being [[153rd Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|153rd]] and [[154th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|154th]]. The division was then fighting in Normandy after having landed there earlier in the month shortly after [[Normandy landings|D-Day]] on 6 June.<ref name="Mead93"/> The division had, under Major General [[Douglas Wimberley]], fought with distinction in [[Tunisian Campaign|North Africa]] and [[Allied invasion of Sicily|Sicily]] from 1942–43 as part of the [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]] under [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[Bernard Montgomery|Sir Bernard Montgomery]], and had been brought back to the United Kingdom by Montgomery, upon his promotion to command the [[21st Army Group]] in December 1943, to spearhead the Normandy invasion. In France, however, the division, now commanded by Major General [[Charles Bullen-Smith]] and war-weary, had performed, Montgomery felt, very poorly.<ref name="Mead93"/> In mid-July, shortly after Cassels took over command of the 152nd Brigade, Montgomery wrote to [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal]] [[Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke|Sir Alan Brooke]], the [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Imperial General Staff]] (CIGS), the professional head of the British Army, and informed him that, in his opinion (but shared also by [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]]s [[John Crocker]] and [[Miles Dempsey]], GOCs of [[I Corps (United Kingdom)|I Corps]] and [[Second Army (United Kingdom)|British Second Army]] respectively), the 51st Division was, under Bullen-Smith, not battleworthy and decided to replace him with Major General [[Tom Rennie|Thomas Rennie]], who had served with the division in Africa and Sicily.<ref name="Mead93"/><br />
<br />
Cassels's brigade fought briefly in [[Operation Goodwood]], the British attempt to break out of the Normandy [[beachhead]], following up behind the [[11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|11th Armoured Division]] and securing the ground gained, in which positions it remained for the next month.<ref name="Mead93"/> The division, now under Major General Rennie, transferring from I Corps to [[Lieutenant-general (Canada)|Lieutenant General]] [[Guy Simonds]]' [[II Canadian Corps]], then took part in [[Operation Totalize]], which succeeded, with Cassels' brigade taking [[Tilly-la-Campagne]], its objective, with light casualties. The division then participated in [[Operation Tractable]], in an attempt to prevent the [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]] from escaping the [[Falaise Pocket]]. Cassels was slightly injured, and two nearby officers were both killed, when his brigade HQ was strafed by a friendly [[United States Army Air Forces|US Army Air Force]] (USAAF) bomber. The brigade later led the division's crossing of the [[Seine|river Seine]] on 1 September and, by the evening, the 5th Battalion, [[Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders]] had liberated [[Saint-Valery-en-Caux]].<ref name="Mead94">Mead, p. 94</ref><br />
<br />
Alongside the 49th Division, the 51st Division, now serving under I Corps again, was assigned the task of capturing the French port of [[Le Havre]]. The attack, codenamed [[Operation Astonia]], began on 10 September and, with Cassels' brigade having achieved all its objectives, the German garrison surrendered on 12 September.<ref name="Mead94"/><br />
<br />
By October the division was on the Dutch border where, on 23 October, Operation Colin was launched.<ref name="Mead94"/> Cassels' brigade took the town of [[Vught]] and, by 31 October, had reached the [[Meuse|river Maas]], before going on to clear the area west of [['s-Hertogenbosch]]. Finally, the brigade carried out an assault crossing of the Noorder canal and, apart from holding the line, was not involved in any further major actions for the rest of the year.<ref name="Mead94"/><br />
<br />
In January 1945 the brigade was in the [[Ardennes|Ardennes forest]], in February moving to the [[Klever Reichswald|Reichswald forest]] where it was involved in [[Operation Veritable]] and, despite heavy fighting in terrible conditions, managed to clear the south-western edge of the forest.<ref name="Mead94"/> The brigade, along with the rest of the division, now part of [[XXX Corps (United Kingdom)|XXX Corps]] under Lieutenant General [[Brian Horrocks]], had a short rest after this, and began training for their next assignment, [[Operation Plunder]], an [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious assault]] crossing of the [[Rhine|river Rhine]]. The operation began on the night of 23 March 1945, with Cassels' brigade crossing the river the following day. On the same day, however, the division's GOC, Major General Rennie, was killed by mortar fire and replaced as GOC by Major General [[Gordon MacMillan]], a highly experienced and competent commander, who had led Cassels's brigade in Sicily.<ref name="Mead94"/> Despite the loss of the GOC, the division, Cassels's brigade in particular, was involved in heavy fighting in an attempt to expand the [[bridgehead]]. The brigade then [[Western Allied invasion of Germany|advanced across Germany]], and was at [[Bremen]] by late April, with the [[end of World War II in Europe]] following shortly after.<ref name="Mead94"/><br />
<br />
For Cassels's leadership of the 152nd Brigade during the Normandy Campaign, he was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] on 28 September 1944<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36720 |supp=y|page=4473|date=26 September 1944}}</ref> and awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order]] (DSO) on 21 December 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36850 |supp=y|page=5854|date=19 December 1944}}</ref><ref name="Mead94"/><br />
<br />
Cassels was promoted to the rank of acting major general and appointed GOC of the 51st Division on 28 May 1945, taking over from Major General MacMillan.<ref name="Mead94"/> Aged just 38, he was the second youngest British divisional commander of the Second World War, with only Major General [[Richard Hull]], GOC of the [[5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|5th Infantry Division]], being two months younger, and Cassels himself being only three months younger than Major General [[Philip Roberts (British Army officer)|Philip Roberts]], GOC of the [[11th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|11th Armoured Division]].<ref name="Mead94"/><ref name=pg80/> He was [[mentioned in despatches]] on 8 November 1945.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37340 |supp=y|page=5447|date=6 November 1945}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Postwar==<br />
After the war he continued to command the 51st Division in Germany until March 1946 when he selected to command the [[6th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|6th Airborne Division]]. The division, which had fought with distinction in Northwest Europe, was then serving in [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] during the [[Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine|Palestine Emergency]] (for further information see [[6th Airborne Division in Palestine]]).<ref name=pg81>Heathcote, Anthony pg 81</ref> Cassels's time there was not altogether happy. "I was in Palestine from March 1946 until the end of the year, ten hellish months. I got appallingly rude letters from [[United States|America]], saying that I was much worse than [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]], addressed to me personally. We nearly had seizures every time we read a newspaper. The general line was that we were [[Antisemitism|anti-semitic]] beasts and murderers. I don't think they realized that many of my men had [[Operation Tonga|parachuted into Normandy]] in June 1944. Large numbers of them were killed and wounded fighting to remove Hitler from the face of the earth."<ref>Bethell, p. 240</ref> "It did make one hopping mad to see some of the comments in the Press...denigrating all or most of our actions. They sat in comfort and safety in England while we lived in fairly uncomfortable conditions and under the continued...threat of being blown up!!"<ref>Charters, p. 167</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:KoreanWar recover Seoul.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Korean War]], during which Cassels commanded the [[1st Commonwealth Division]].]]<br />
<br />
He relinquished command of the division to Major General [[Eric Bols]] in early 1947 to return to England, where he attended the [[Royal College of Defence Studies|Imperial Defence College]]. For his services in Palestine he was mentioned in despatches.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38505 |supp=y|page=124|date=7 January 1949}}</ref> Promoted to the substantive rank of [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] on 19 August 1947,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38217 |supp=y|page=1417|date=20 February 1948}}</ref> he returned to England and became Director of Land / Air Warfare at the War Office in January 1948.<ref name=pg81/> Having been promoted to brigadier on 4 March 1948<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38270 |supp=y|page=2585|date=23 April 1948}}</ref> and to major general on 20 December 1948,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38545 |supp=y|page=987|date=25 February 1949}}</ref> he became Chief Liaison Officer with the United Kingdom Services Liaison Staff at [[Melbourne]] in Australia on 16 December 1949<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38805 |supp=y|page=99|date=6 January 1950}}</ref> and was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[New Year Honours]] 1950.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38797 |supp=y|page=3|date=30 December 1949}}</ref> He became the first GOC of the [[1st Commonwealth Division]] in July 1951 during the [[Korean War]]<ref name=pg81/> for which he was awarded the [[Legion of Merit]] in the Degree of Commander by the [[President of the United States|U.S. President]], [[Harry S. Truman]] on 16 September 1952<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39646|page=4920|date=16 September 1952}}</ref> and appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] on 10 October 1952.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39666 |supp=y|page=5323|date=7 October 1952}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[File:Police in Malayan Emergency.jpg|thumb|right|Cassels served as director of operations during the [[Malayan Emergency]].]]<br />
<br />
He was made GOC of the [[I Corps (United Kingdom)|1 (British) Corps]] on 4 January 1953<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39778 |supp=y|page=967|date=13 February 1953}}</ref> and, having been promoted to the rank of [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-general]] on 2 February 1954,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=40106 |supp=y|page=1145|date=23 February 1954}}</ref> became Director of Military Training at the [[War Office]] on 15 November 1954.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=40326 |supp=y|page=6479|date=16 November 1954}}</ref> He was appointed director of operations in [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]] on 17 September 1957 during the [[Malayan Emergency]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41191 |supp=y|page=5753|date=1 October 1957}}</ref> and, having been promoted to full [[general]] on 29 November 1958,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41561 |supp=y|page=7349|date=28 November 1958}}</ref> became [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) for [[Eastern Command (United Kingdom)|Eastern Command]] on 29 June 1959.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41752 |supp=y|page=4219|date=26 June 1959}}</ref> He commanded the [[Northern Army Group]] and was [[Commander-in-chief|Commander-in-Chief]] (C-in-C) of the [[British Army of the Rhine]] (BAOR) on 7 January 1960<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41923 |supp=y|page=249|date=5 January 1960}}</ref> and, having advanced to [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[New Year Honours]] 1961,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42231 |supp=y|page=8891|date=27 December 1960}}</ref> became [[Adjutant-General to the Forces]] on 1 June 1963.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43018 |supp=y|page=4847|date=31 May 1963}}</ref> He became [[Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the General Staff]] (CGS), the professional head of the British Army, on 8 February 1965<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43569 |supp=y|page=1361|date=5 February 1965}}</ref> and advised the [[Government of the United Kingdom|British government]] on the implementation of the [[1966 Defence White Paper]] which, inter alia, established the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve]] (TAVR).<ref name=pg82>Heathcote, Anthony pg 82</ref> He was promoted to [[Field marshal (United Kingdom)|field marshal]] on 29 February 1968 on his retirement from the British Army.<ref name=pg82/><br />
<br />
He was also colonel of the Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) from 15 March 1957<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41007 |supp=y|page=1195|date=19 February 1957}}</ref> and Colonel Commandant of the [[Royal Military Police]] from 27 May 1957.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41034 |supp=y|page=1948|date=26 March 1957}}</ref> He was also a member of the Committee of the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]].<ref name=odnb/><br />
<br />
His interests included [[fishing]], dance music, playing the [[guitar]] and the [[clarinet]] and playing various sports including [[cricket]], [[polo]] and [[golf]].<ref name=odnb/> He died at [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]] in [[Suffolk]] on 13 December 1996.<ref name=odnb/><br />
<br />
==Family==<br />
In 1935 he married Joyce Kirk; they had one son.<ref name=pg80/> Following the death of his first wife, he married Joy Dickson in 1978.<ref name=pg82/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
*Obituary: Daily Telegraph 21 December 1996<br />
*{{Cite book| first=Nicholas| last=Bethell| title=The Palestine Triangle: the Struggle for the Holy Land, 1935–48| publisher=Putnam| location=New York| year=1979| isbn=978-0-399-12398-6| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/palestinetriangl00eliz}}<br />
*{{cite book|last=Charters|first=David|title=The British Army and Jewish insurgency in Palestine, 1945–47|publisher=Macmillan Press in association with King's College, London|year=1989|location=London|isbn=978-0-333-42278-6}}<br />
*{{cite book| first=Tony| last=Heathcote|title=The British Field Marshals 1736–1997| publisher=Pen & Sword| location=Barnsley (UK)| year=1999| isbn=0-85052-696-5}}<br />
*{{cite book| first=Richard| last=Mead| title=Churchill's Lions: A Biographical Guide to the Key British Generals of World War II| year=2007| publisher=Spellmount| location=Stroud (UK)| isbn=978-1-86227-431-0| page=544 pages}}<br />
*{{cite book|title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| first=Nick| last=Smart| location=Barnsley, U.K.| publisher=Pen & Sword Military| year=2005| isbn=1-84415-049-6}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[https://generals.dk/general/Cassels/Archibald_James_Halkett/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]<br />
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