William Alfred Dimoline

Major-General William Alfred Dimoline CB CMG CBE DSO MC (born 1897; died 1965) was an officer in the British Army during World War I and World War II. His nickname was "Dimmo."

Early career

Dimoline was educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham (where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps) and with the outbreak of World War I he was commissioned into the King's Regiment (Liverpool) (Territorial Force) as a second lieutenant in 1914. [LondonGazette|issue=28867|startpage=6307|date=11 August 1914|accessdate=2008-01-15] In 1915 he was promoted to lieutenant, [LondonGazette|issue=29399|supp=yes|startpage=12415|date=10 December 1915|accessdate=2008-01-15] [LondonGazette|issue=29597|supp=yes|startpage=5294|date=26 May 1916|accessdate=2008-01-15] he was then seconded to the Divisional Artillery Signals on 15 March 1917 [LondonGazette|issue=30082|supp=yes|startpage=4928|date=18 May 1917|accessdate=2008-01-15] and promoted to captain. [LondonGazette|issue=30136|supp=yes|startpage=6041|date=15 June 1917|accessdate=2008-01-15] In 1920 he was given a backdated regular army commission in the East Surrey Regiment from July 1916, as a second lieutenant, [LondonGazette|issue=31865|supp=yes|startpage=4435|date=13 April 1920|accessdate=2008-01-15] having transferred to the regiment as a lieutenant in 1918. [LondonGazette|issue=30539|supp=yes|startpage=2400|date=22 February 1918|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was awarded the Military Cross.

Between the World Wars he officially transferred to the Royal Signal Corps. [LondonGazette|issue=32772|startpage=8520|date=1 December 1922|accessdate=2008-01-15] He commanded a Divisional Signal Company as an acting captain for a period up to 1922. [LondonGazette|issue=32817|startpage=2966|date=24 April 1923|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was then seconded to the West African Frontier Force as a temporary captain in 1923. [LondonGazette|issue=32825|startpage=3614|date=22 May 1923|accessdate=2008-01-15] In 1925 he was seconded to the Colonial Office, [LondonGazette|issue=33085|startpage=6088|date=18 September 1925|accessdate=2008-01-15] promoted to substantive captain in 1927 (with seniority back to 1920), [LondonGazette|issue=33278|startpage=3448|date=27 May 1927|accessdate=2008-01-15] and returned to regimental duty to serve as adjutant from 1930, [LondonGazette|issue=33578|startpage=894|date=11 February 1930|accessdate=2008-01-15] [LondonGazette|issue=33607|startpage=3153|date=20 May 1930|accessdate=2008-01-15] and then attended Staff College in 1933–1934, [LondonGazette|issue=33904|startpage=442|date=20 January 1933|accessdate=2008-01-15] [LondonGazette|issue=34116|startpage=8296|date=21 December 1934|accessdate=2008-01-15] and in 1936 he was appointed a General Staff Officer, Grade 3, [LondonGazette|issue=34277|startpage=2625|date=24 April 1936|accessdate=2008-01-15] holding the appointment until January 1937. [LondonGazette|issue=34368|startpage=788|date=5 February 1937|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was then seconded to be Commandant of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment, with the local rank of lieutenant-colonel, [LondonGazette|issue=34374|startpage=1257|date=20 February 1937|accessdate=2008-01-15] and appointed to the Northern Rhodesia Legislative Council. [LondonGazette|issue=34458|startpage=7432|date=26 November 1937|accessdate=2008-01-15] [LondonGazette|issue=34507|startpage=2857|endpage=2858|date=3 May 1938|accessdate=2008-01-15] [LondonGazette|issue=34607|startpage=1763|date=14 March 1939|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was promoted to susbtantive lieutenant-colonel on 8 November 1938. [LondonGazette|issue=34593|startpage=607|date=27 January 1939|accessdate=2008-01-15]

World War II

Dimoline was initially employed in the Middle East, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1941 for his services there, [LondonGazette|issue=35120|supp=yes|startpage=1865|date=28 March 1941|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was promoted to substantive colonel on 19 December 1941. [LondonGazette|issue=35448|supp=yes|startpage=645|date=6 February 1942|accessdate=2008-01-15] and Mentioned in Despatches. [LondonGazette|issue=35396|startpage=7339|endpage=7340|date=26 December 1941|accessdate=2008-01-15]

Brigadier Dimoline commanded the 26th East African Brigade (of the 12th African Division) in Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia during the East African Campaign. His brigade acted independently of its division for the duration of the campaign. [LondonGazette|issue=37645|supp=yes|startpage=3592|date=9 July 1946|accessdate=2008-01-15]

During the Battle of Madagascar in 1942, Brigadier Dimoline commanded the 22nd East African Brigade. His brigade carried out an amphibious landing on 10 September at Majunga, in the north-west part of the island. He commanded a surprise attack on 18 October against forces based at Andriamanalina with such success that his troops suffered no casualties. [LondonGazette|issue=37655|supp=yes|startpage=3719|date=16 July 1946|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his part in the battle. [LondonGazette|issue=36083|startpage=3085|date=6 July 1943|accessdate=2008-01-15]

Later, he commanded a number of East African brigades in the Asian Theatre including in the Burma Campaign the 28th East African Brigade and then, on promotion to acting major-general in 1945, [LondonGazette|issue=37016|supp=yes|startpage=1833|date=3 April 1945|accessdate=2008-01-15] the 11th (East Africa) Division. He was again Mentioned in Despatches for his performance there, [LondonGazette|issue=37425|supp=yes|startpage=380|date=8 January 1946|accessdate=2008-01-15] and given the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). [LondonGazette|issue=37433|supp=yes|startpage=498|date=15 January 1946|accessdate=2008-01-15]

Post war

Dimoline was made a substantive major-general on 6 September 1946, [LondonGazette|issue=37736|supp=yes|startpage=4801|date=20 September 1946|accessdate=2008-01-15] and a Companion of the Bath (CB) in the 1947 King's Birthday Honours, [LondonGazette|issue=37977|supp=yes|startpage=2573|date=6 June 1947|accessdate=2008-01-15] he relinquished command of the Aldershot District on 1 September 1951. [LondonGazette|issue=39332|supp=yes|startpage=4811|date=11 September 1951|accessdate=2008-01-15] On 29 September 1951 he was appointed "Head of The Service Advisers to The United Kingdom Delegation and United Kingdom Representative on, The Military Staff Committee of The United Nations", [LondonGazette|issue=39375|supp=yes|startpage=5771|date=6 November 1951|accessdate=2008-01-15] and held the post until 13 October 1953. [LondonGazette|issue=40023|supp=yes|startpage=6359|date=20 November 1953|accessdate=2008-01-15] He retired on 27 December 1953, [LondonGazette|issue=40051|supp=yes|startpage=7023|date=25 December 1953|accessdate=2008-01-15] remaining a reserve officer until 1957. [LondonGazette|issue=41167|supp=yes|startpage=5215|date=3 September 1957|accessdate=2008-01-15] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1958 New Year Honours for his work as "Secretary, British Group, Inter-Parliamentary Union." [LondonGazette|issue=41268|supp=yes|startpage=4|date=31 December 1957|accessdate=2008-01-15]

Family

His younger brother was Brigadier Harry Kenneth Dimoline.

Career summary

* Commissioned into 5th battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool) (6 July 1914)
* Commissioned into East Surrey Regiment (1920)
* Transferred to Royal Signal Corps (1922)
* Seconded to West African Frontier Force (1923)
* Commandant Northern Rhodesia Regiment (1937)
* Commanding Officer, 26th East African Brigade, East Africa - 1941 to 1942
* Acting General Officer Commanding, 12th African Division, East Africa - 1942
* Commanding Officer, 26th East African Brigade, East Africa - 1942
* Commanding Officer, 22nd East African Brigade, East Africa and Madagascar - 1942 to 1943
* Commandant of Diego Fortress, Madagascar - 1943
* Commanding Officer, 21st East African Brigade, Ceylon - 1943
* Commanding Officer, 30th East African Brigade, East Africa - 1944
* Commanding Officer, 28th Independent East African Brigade, Ceylon - 1944
* Commanding Officer, 28th Independent East African Brigade, Ceylon, India, and Burma - 1944 to 1945
* General Officer Commanding, 11th (East Africa) Division, Burma and India - 1945 to 1946
* Commander-in-Chief, East Africa Command - 1946 to 1948
* District Officer Commanding, Aldershot District - 1948 to 1951
* British Representative on United Nations' Military Staff Committee - 1951 to 1953

ee also

* King's African Rifles
* Order of Battle, East African Campaign

References

External links

* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=2791425&queryType=1&resultcount=1 Dimoline's World War I medal card] in Documents Online at The National Archives (fee required)
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/search-results.asp?searchtype=browserefine&query=first_name%3dwilliam%7clast_name%3ddimoline&catid=22&pagenumber=1&querytype=1&mediaarray=* Papers relating to the award of OBE, CBE and DSO] in Documents Online at The National Archives (fee required)