John Whiteley (British Army officer)

Sir John Whiteley
John Whiteley
Nickname(s)	"Jock"
Born	(1896-06-07)7 June 1896
Died	20 May 1970(1970-05-20) (aged 73)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1915–1956
Rank	General
Unit	Royal Engineers
Battles/wars	World War I: Salonika Campaign Sinai and Palestine Campaign World War II: Western Desert Campaign Battle of Greece Operation Torch Tunisia Campaign Allied invasion of Sicily Allied invasion of Italy Operation Overlord Siegfried Line Campaign Battle of the Bulge Western Allied invasion of Germany
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Military Cross Mentioned in dispatches Legion of Merit (US) Distinguished Service Medal (US)

General Sir John Francis Martin Whiteley GBE KCB MC (7 June 1896 – 20 May 1970) was a senior British Army officer who became Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff (DCIGS). A career soldier, Whiteley was commissioned in 1915 into the Royal Engineers from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. During World War I he served in Salonika and the Middle East.

In May 1940, during World War II, he was posted to General Headquarters (GHQ) Middle East in Cairo as Brigadier, General Staff (BGS) (Operations) under General Sir Archibald Wavell. In March 1942 he became Chief of Staff of the British Eighth Army, participating in the Battle of Gazala and the First Battle of El Alamein. In September 1942 Whiteley joined Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower's Allied Force Headquarters (AFHQ) as the British Deputy Chief of Staff. When Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord in January 1944, Whiteley was one of three key British staff officers Eisenhower brought to England to staff the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Whiteley initially became Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence (G-2) at SHAEF before becoming deputy to the Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations (G-3), Major General Harold Bull in May 1944.