www.ns.legion.ca 157 Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion Youngest Canadian General Officer of WWII Robert William Moncel, OC DSO OBE CD (April 9, 1917 – December 10, 2007) was a Canadian army officer. Moncel was Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Army and former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. He was the youngest general officer in the Canadian Army when promoted to Brigadier on August 17, 1944, at the age of 27. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he was educated at Selwyn House School, Bishop's College School and McGill University. He served as an officer with the Victoria Rifles of Canada. Senior commanders of the First Canadian Army, May 1945. Seated from the left: Stanisław Maczek (Polish Army), Guy Simonds, Harry Crerar, Charles Foulkes, Bert Hoffmeister. Standing from the left: Ralph Keefler, Bruce Matthews, Harry Foster, Robert Moncel (standing in for Chris Vokes, Stuart Rawlins (British Army). When World War II broke out, Moncel went to Europe with the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR). In May 1940, he was ordered along with the RCR to France to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force facing the German blitzkrieg. Soon however, Lieutenant Moncel, who commanded a Bren gun carrier platoon, was ordered to retreat to the French coast. When being evacuated, he was ordered to destroy his equipment to save it from German hands, but Moncel, with his cool judgement, managed to evacuate the Bren gun carriers. This act caught the eyes of his superiors and he was promoted to captain. In 1941, he finished first on a staff course under the command of Guy Simonds, and was promoted to major in 1942, and lieutenantcolonel in January 1943. Moncel became the commanding officer of 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons). Later, Moncel was posted as the General Staff Officer 1 of the II Canadian Corps, where he reorganized its general staff. continued ...
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