British army general

Born on 13 August 1897 in Leeds, England, William Gott was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. Commissioned into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) in February 1915, Gott fought in France during World War I, where he was wounded, awarded the Military Cross (MC), and taken prisoner. Gott continued in the army after the war, serving in the 13th London Regiment. He was promoted to major in January 1934 and saw service in India. Advanced to lieutenant colonel in 1938, Gott commanded a battalion of the KRRC.

In 1940, Gott was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as a staff officer to Major General Percy Hobart’s Mobile Force in Egypt, which he was rapidly developing into an armored division. As commander of the Support Group of the 7th Armoured Division, Gott took part in Operation COMPASS in December 1940, and in May 1941 he led the composite armored strike force for Operation BREVITY, the first Allied attempt to relieve Tobruk. Gott was then promoted to major general and given command of the 7th Armoured Division, which he led with great daring during Operation CRUSADER.

As with most other British officers, Gott—himself an infantry officer—initially failed to comprehend the concept of mobile mechanized warfare. However, on the basis of his experience fighting the Germans, who coordinated antitank guns, artillery, and infantry with their tanks, Gott suggested using 25-pounder field artillery to support British tanks. He was primarily responsible for the belated British policy of breaking down the traditional and rigid divisional organization into combined all-arms brigade groups, which became standard throughout the British army.

Gott built a reputation as a brilliant and energetic armored commander, and he was widely recognized as knowing more about the desert than any other senior British officer. Standing 6 feet 2 inches and built like a heavyweight boxer, Gott had an imposing presence and was one of the most inspiring commanders in the Middle East. Gott had an unrivaled knowledge of the exigencies and possibilities of desert warfare and a reputation for a lightning-quick grasp of a situation and a faculty for making rapid decisions. A legend in the desert fighting, Gott was known as a “British Rommel,” tirelessly roaming the battlefield to rally and drive on the shaken troops.

Promoted to lieutenant general in 1942—one of the youngest officers of that rank in the British army—Gott took command of XIII Corps and led it through the defeats at Gazala and Mersa Matrûh. Nevertheless, his reputation was not tarnished during the British withdrawal to El Alamein. In August 1942, British Prime Minister Winston L. S. Churchill selected Gott to replace Auchinleck as commander of the Eighth Army. Although Gott protested that he was tired out and depressed by fatigue and defeat and would like nothing more than three months’ leave in England to recuperate, he agreed to take on the new post. On 7 August 1942, he flew to Cairo to take up his appointment. His aircraft was intercepted by a lone German fighter and shot down. Although his plane managed to land safely, Gott had been shot and killed. Following his death, Churchill immediately appointed his second choice, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, as commander of the Eighth Army. Gott’s death, therefore, had a great impact on succeeding events in the desert and subsequently in Europe.

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…Whilst there was sent for by the PM to meet him and Smuts and read their final decision. The telegram was to the War Cabinet recommending a splitting of the Middle East into Near East and Middle East. Auk to vacate the former and take over the latter. Alexander to take over Near East, [Lieutenant General William Henry Ewart] Gott to take over the 8th Army. [Major General William Havelock] Ramsden to leave, [Lieutenant General Sir Edward Pelew] Quinan [10th Army] to leave, Corbett and [Brigadier Eric E.] Dorman-Smith also to go. Considering everything this is perhaps the best solution. I accepted it. Alexander is to fly out at once to take over ME, and for us to see him before we leave. Went back to GHQ and gave talk on world situation. After that had 1/2 hour with [Richard Gardiner] Casey. Then back for bath and another interview with PM to see his last telegram.

7 August 1942

Spent most of the morning with [Field Marshall Archibald Percival] Wavell discussing various problems connected with India, and getting his advice on the situations which we are faced with here. At 12 noon PM sent for me to see reply from Cabinet to his wire concerning changes. They are quibbling at the split in the Command. Their arguments are not very conclusive and he was able to deal with them fairly easily. Spent afternoon with Adam and Wavell, also interviews with Corbett and Dorman-Smith.

Just as I was starting for home for dinner I received the news that Gott had been killed this afternoon being shot down whilst flying back from Burg el Arab! A very hard blow coming on top of all the planning we had been doing. He was one of our linkpins! I do feel sorry for Mrs Gott. After dinner PM, Smuts and I had conference as to how the matter should be settled. Had some difficulty. PM rather in favor of Wilson. However Smuts assisted me and telegram has now been sent off to Cabinet ordering Montgomery out to take command of 8th Army. I hope we get Alexander and Montgomery out soon so that I may settle details of Corps Commanders and Chiefs of Staff with them.

[William Averill] Harriman arrived today, together with some Russians. They are to accompany us to Moscow. Also Maxwell the American General is to join us. De Gaulle turned up to lunch, as supercilious and self-satisfied as ever. I am longing to finish tidying up this front, and am having rather a job to keep the PM on the move.

Gott’s death was a very serious blow, and the most unexpected one. He was flying back on the Burg el Arab-Heliopolis route, considered so safe that no escort had been found necessary for Winston when we flew out. It happened to be an individual German plane, driven out of high altitude in combat, and dashing home at lower altitude. It came across the slow transport plane on its way and shot it down in flames. It seemed almost like the hand of God suddenly appearing to set matters right where we had gone wrong. Looking back on those days with the knowledge of what occurred at Alamein and after it I am convinced that the whole course of the war might well have been altered if Gott had been in command of the 8th Army. In his tired condition I do not think that he would have had the energy and vitality to stage and fight this battle as Monty did. . . . Let it not be imagined from these remarks that I had not got a high opinion of Gott. On the contrary I held him in the highest esteem and capable of great things, but he was not at his best, had had too long a run in the desert, and wanted rest….

War Diaries 1939–1945 – Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke

[1] His nickname was “Strafer.” Built like a horse, at 44 one of the youngest officers to hold his rank, he commanded the British 13th Corps in Libya. His full name and title: Lieut. General William Henry Ewart Gott, C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C. World War I veterans who remembered the Germans’ Gott strafe England gave him the nickname.

Strafer understood desert warfare. He was one of Auchinleck’s pillars. Strafer almost understood the desert. Once he observed in his deceptively soft voice: “To him who knows it, the desert can be a fortress; to him who does not, it can be a deathtrap.” From London last week came a report that enemy planes had attacked his plane, shot him down. In the skies over the desert the trap had closed on Strafer Gott.

References

Moorehead, Alan. Desert War: The North African Campaign, 1940–1943. London: Cassell, 2001. Pitt, Barrie. The Crucible of War. 2 vols. London: Jonathan Cape, 1980–1982. Vernon, Dick. Strafer Gott: 1897–1942. Winchester, UK: Regiment Headquarters, Royal Green Jackets, 1984.