Allegiance United Kingdom Awards Military Cross & Bar Unit 11th Hussars Service/branch British Army | Years of service 1940–1945 Died 21 April 1945 Rank Major | |
Battles/wars Second World War
Battle of Beda Fomm
North African Campaign
Battle of Alam Halfa
Second Battle of El Alamein
Battle of El Agheila
Tunisia Campaign
Battle of Medenine
Battle of the Mareth Line
Sicily Campaign
Italian Campaign
Western Front
Operation Overlord
Battle for Caen
Operation Goodwood
Operation Cobra
Operation Market Garden
Battle of the Bulge
Operation Veritable
Invasion of Germany
Operation Varsity
Operation Plunder Battles and wars World War II, Battle of Beda Fomm | ||
Major John William Poston MC & Bar (1919 – 21 April 1945) (son of Colonel William John Lloyd Poston, D.S.O., and of Marjorie Blanch Poston nee Dalglish, of Barnes, Surrey) was a cavalry officer of the British Army best known for serving as the Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery from his North African Campaign to the final week of war in Europe.
Commissioned as an officer in the 11th Hussars in January 1940, Poston served with distinction in North Africa in the early part of the war. He commanded the 'A' Squadron, 11th Hussar during Operation Compass and won the Military Cross in March 1942. He was selected by Lieutenant General William Gott to serve as his Aide-de-Camp. General Gott was killed soon after when his aircraft was ambushed by Luftwaffe fighters. His successor Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery retained Poston as his ADC. He was promoted to Captain in November 1943 and to Major in December 1944 also winning a bar to his MC.
He was killed in an ambush by German forces on 21 April 1945 returning to Field Marshal Montgomery's tactical HQ at Luneburg Heath. He was 25 years at the time of death and was buried at Becklingen War Cemetery which overlooks Luneburg Heath where, on 4 May 1945, Field-Marshal Montgomery accepted the German surrender from Admiral Doenitz.