Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre

Auchinleck, Sir Claude John Eyre âr ôˌkĭnlĕkˈ, ôˌkhĭn– [key], 1884–1981, British field marshal. In World War II he commanded briefly (1940) at Narvik, Norway, then in building defenses in England and in India (1940–41). After succeeding (July, 1941) Gen. Sir Archibald P. Wavell in the Middle East Command, he launched, in Nov., 1941, a campaign into Libya, but in June, 1942, his forces were thrust back into Egypt. In June, 1943, he once more became commander in chief in India, remaining so until 1947. He was made field marshal in 1946.

See biography by J. H. Robertson (1959); C. Barnett, The Desert Generals (1960).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2026, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish History: Biographies