the fall of France in May 1940. He then assumed the position of inspector general for the recently created Home Guard and was Commander of British Troops in Northern Ireland, before being appointed the Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in the War Office in 1941. He subsequently became commander-in-chief of the British Far East Command in South East Asia until 1942, when it was succeeded by the short-lived ABDACOM where he became chief of staff to General Sir Archibald Wavell. Afterwards he assumed the role of Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon from 1942 to 1943, and commander-in-chief of the Persia and Iraq theatres in 1943. Finally, he was appointed chief of staff to Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, the Supreme Commander of the Allied South East Asia Command from 1943 to 1944. After the conclusion of the war he retired from the British army in 1945. During the war Pownall received the distinctions of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1940 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1945. Death Pownall died on 10 June 1961, aged 73. Personal life He married Mary Henderson in 1918, whose husband John Gray had been killed in action in 1916, and was stepfather to her son, Willoughby Gray. Post war positions Chairman, Friary Meux Limited Member of the Committee of Lloyds Bank Chief Commissioner, St. John Ambulance Brigade, 1947–1949 Military consultant to Winston Churchill on The Second World War (Cassell, London, 1948–1954) Chancellor, Order of St John, 1951 References Further reading Henry Pownall's diaries were published as Chief of Staff. The Diaries of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Pownall, edited by Brian Bond (Leo Cooper, London, 1972) External links Biography of Lieutenant General Sir Henry Royds POWNALL British Army Officers 1939–1945 Generals of World War II POWNALL, Lt Gen Sir Henry Royds (1887-1961) at Liddell Hart Military Archives |- |- |- 1887 births 1961 deaths People educated at Rugby School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I British Army generals of World War II Military of Singapore under British rule Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Military Cross Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley War Office personnel in World War II Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Military