John Grover (British Army officer)
| John Grover | |
|---|---|
 Grover (left) with generals Stopford and Salomons | |
| Born | 6 February 1897 |
| Died | 1979 |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1948 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held |
1st Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry 11th Infantry Brigade 2nd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II Battle of Kohima |
| Awards |
Companion of the Order of the Bath Military Cross |
Major-General John Malcolm Lawrence Grover CB MC (6 February 1897 – 1979) was a senior British Army officer who commanded the 2nd Infantry Division in the Burma Campaign of World War II.
Military career
Grover was commissioned into the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1914.[1] He was awarded the Military Cross for his service in World War I[2] having been wounded three times during the four years of War.[3] He became Commanding Officer of the 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1938.[4] He served in World War II as Commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade from 1940 and as General Officer Commanding 2nd Division in Burma from 1941.[4] He devised and implemented a strategy to remove the Japanese from the Kohima region of India leading to the defeat of the Japanese at the Battle of Kohima between April and June 1944.[5] Despite being victorious in this battle, he was removed from command on 4 July 1944 by Lieutenant General Montagu Stopford who was unhappy with Grover's methods.[6] Grover went on to be Director of Army Welfare Services at the War Office in 1944 before retiring in 1948.[4]
He became Colonel of The King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1947.[7] In 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kohima, a memorial to General Grover was unveiled at Jotsama on the site of his 2nd Division Headquarters.[8]
References
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29007. p. 10696. 15 December 1914. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31219. p. 3240. 7 March 1919. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ↑ Keane, Fergal (2010). Road of Bones: The Siege of Kohima 1944. London: HarperPress. ISBN 978-0-00-713240-9. p458.
- 1 2 3 Generals.dk
- ↑ The Battle of Kohima, North East India, 4 April – 22 June 1944
- ↑ Swinson, Arthur (2015). Kohima. London: Head of Zeus. ISBN 9781784081782. p315
- ↑ The King's Shropshire Light Infantry
- ↑ Nagaland Post
External links
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Daril Watson |
General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division 1941–1944 |
Succeeded by Cameron Nicholson |