Sir Frederick Morgan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Freddie"[1][2] |
| Born | 5 February 1894 Paddock Wood, Kent, England |
| Died | 19 March 1967 (aged 73) Northwood, Middlesex, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1913–1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Service number | 8223 |
| Unit | Royal Field Artillery Royal Artillery |
| Commands | I Corps 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division Devon and Cornwall County Division 1st Support Group |
| Battles / wars | First World War: |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal (US) Legion of Merit (US) Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France) |
| Other work | United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Controller of Atomic Energy Controller of Atomic Weapons |
Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Edgworth Morgan, KCB (5 February 1894 – 19 March 1967) was a senior officer of the British Army who fought in both world wars. He is best known as the chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC), the original planner of Operation Overlord.
A graduate of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Morgan was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery in July 1913. During the First World War he served on the Western Front as an artillery subaltern and staff officer. Afterwards he served two long tours with the British Army in India.
Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, Morgan was promoted to brigadier and assumed command of the 1st Support Group, part of the 1st Armoured Division, which he led during the Battle of France. After serving as Brigadier General Staff (BGS) with II Corps, he was promoted to major general in February 1941 and commanded both the Devon and Cornwall County Division and the 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division, before being promoted again in May 1942 to lieutenant general when he was given command of I Corps. His headquarters was then designated Force 125, and given the task of dealing with a German thrust through Spain to Gibraltar that never occurred. In March 1943 he was appointed chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (Designate), or COSSAC. As COSSAC he directed the planning for Operation Overlord. When American General Dwight D. Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander in early 1944, Major General Bedell Smith became chief of staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), while Morgan became deputy chief of staff.
After the war, Morgan served as Chief of Operations for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in Germany until his position in Germany was eliminated after he had alleged that UNRRA was infiltrated by Soviet agents seeking to stir up trouble among displaced persons. In 1951, Morgan became Controller of Atomic Energy, and was present for Operation Hurricane, the first British atomic weapons tests at the Montebello Islands in 1952. His position was abolished in 1954 with the creation of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority but he remained as Controller of Nuclear Weapons until 1956.
- ^ "British Army officer histories". Unit Histories. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Smart 2005, p. 225.