John Mogg (British Army officer)

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]

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
Unit	Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Commands held	9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry 10th Battalion, 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 Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar

Army career

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

Personality

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

"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 common-sense and even temperament were valuable in balancing the direct approach, and sometimes abrasive personality, of the supreme commander, the US General Alexander Haig."

Family and royal connections

Lady Mogg (née Cecilia Molesworth's) second cousin was Margaret Molesworth, grandmother of Sophie, Countess of Wessex, above right

In 1939, Mogg married Cecilia Margaret Molesworth (died 2018),[8] the granddaughter of Rev. Rennell Molesworth (died 1906) whose brother, solicitor John Molesworth (died 1886), was the grandfather of Margaret Patricia Molesworth (died 1985), grandmother of Sophie, Countess of Wessex who, like her relatives Sir John and his wife, shared an interest in military history and horses. Sir John and Lady Mogg had three sons.[9][10][11][12]

References

1. Carver, Michael (3 November 2001). "General Sir John Mogg—Ebullient military commander involved in Britain's conflicts from Malaya to Northern Ireland". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
2. Debrett's People of Today 1994
3. "General Sir John Mogg". The Daily Telegraph. London. 22 November 2001. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
4. The Telegraph obituaries : General Sir John Mogg
5. "General Sir John Mogg". The Daily Telegraph. London. 31 October 2001.
6. "Adult / Children's Education / Youth Activities" (PDF). British Army website. Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
7. About Sir John Mogg School
8. Rhodes, M. "Lady Mogg 1914-2018". The Peerage. Retrieved 19 February 2019. Lady Mogg was a kinswoman of HRH The Countess of Wessex.
9. "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage - 2011". Debrett's Peerage Limited, 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2017. ....Cecilia Margaret (Lady Mogg) Church Close Cottage, Watlington, Oxon,.... b 1914; m 1939, Gen Sir Herbert John Mogg, .... Grandchildren of the late Rev. Rennell Francis Wynn Molesworth, son of the .....John (Molesworth).... Lawrence Teesdale... Margaret Patricia Newell... Sophie Helen....
10. Mogg, Lady Margaret. "Watlington was always home". wordpress.com. I learned to ride a horse age 8 or 9 years old.... went out horseriding together...we had (three) sons....
11. "Edward and Sophie". Australian Women's Weekly NZ - 1 October 2016. 1 October 2016. The problem for those around the Queen's youngest child is that his ... They (the Queen and Sophie, Countess of Wessex) have a shared passion for horses and military history and, despite...
12. "Sophie's Brush With Greatness". Manchester Evening - News 22 January 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2018. Rochdale solicitor's firm Molesworth, Bright and Clegg. The firm was set up in 1840 by John Molesworth, one of the vicar's sons and Sophie's great-great grandfather.

Military offices
Preceded by George Gordon-Lennox	Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 1963–1966	Succeeded by Peter Hunt
Preceded by Sir Richard Goodwin	GOC 1st (British) Corps 1966–1968	Succeeded by Sir Mervyn Butler
Preceded by Sir Geoffrey Baker	GOC-in-C Southern Command 1968	Succeeded by Sir David Yates
Preceded by New Post	General Officer Commanding, Army Strategic Command 1968–1970	Succeeded by Sir Mervyn Butler
Preceded by Sir Geoffrey Musson	Adjutant General 1970–1973	Succeeded by Sir Cecil Blacker
Preceded by Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1973–1976	Succeeded by Sir Harry Tuzo