Biographical Index

Boustead, Hugh: Lt-Colonel, British Army. 1896-1972. Active service during First World War both in Navy and Army. Afterward fought with White Russian expeditionary force. At start of Second World War left Sudan political service to serve in Sudanese Frontier Force. Serving as commander of one of two battalions that comprised Gideon Force's main core. Clashed with Wingate several times during the campaign both over tactics as well as general personality. Post-war work with government of Abu Dubai.
Cunningham, Alan: Lt.-General, British Army. 1883-1956. Commanded British forces invading Italian East Africa from Kenya. Appointed to serve as commander of 8th Army in August of 1941. Relieved of command in November of 1941 for failures against General Rommel in North Africa. After war served as last High Commisioner for Palestine, lowering British flag in 1948.
Sandford, Daniel: Colonel, British Army. 1882-1972. Pre-WWI service both in India and in the Sudan. Following war resigned and moved to Ethiopia. Became an advisor to Emperor Selassie in Ethiopia. Assigned as intelligence officer during early World War Two in the Middle East Command. Helped to create and lead Mission 101 into Ethiopia, until arrival of Wingate. Later in war and in immediate post-war years served again as advisor to Emperor Selassie, both in military and political roles.
Selassie I, Haile: Emperor, Ethiopia. 1891-1975. Born Ras Tafari, son of a provincial noble family. Governor of Harrar in 1910, appointed Crown Prince in 1916. In 1930 became king of Ethiopia, in 1932 took the title of Haile Selassie I. Forced into exile by Italian invasion of May 1936, sought refuge in Britain where he continued to press the world for awareness of loss of Ethiopian independence. In 1940 helped to push for British advance against Italians, taking part in advance of Gideon Force in 1941. In May of that year entered capital Addis Ababa 5 years to the day after he was forced to flee. Post-war saw the king take up leadership position of Organization of African Unity. Unable to balance growing unrest in Ethiopia with sound governing, he was overthrown in 1974. Soon afterward he was murdered by the new military revolutionary regime on August 25th of 1975
Wavell, Bernard: Major-General, Field Marshall, British Army. 1883-1950. After serving in minor roles during WWI, Wavell held a series of steadily growing staff postions, culminating in being given Middle-East Commander-in-Chief in 1939. In Winter 1940-41 he led numerically inferior British forces that defeated first Italian forces in Egypt-Libya and then that Spring the Italians in Ethiopia. Forced to divert forces to the unsuccessfull Balkans campaign, he later was unable to halt the advance of German General Rommel. Impatient at his cautiousness and inability to halt the Axis in the Mediterranean, Churchill relieved him that July of 1941. From late 1941 through 1943 he commanded Allied forces in South-East Asia. Given few resources, he was unable to halt Japanese conquests of the Dutch-East Indies and Malaya, Singapore & Burma. In late 1942, early 1943 he ordered unsuccessfull counter-attacks against the Japanese in Burma. In 1943 he was promoted to Field Marshall and given the position of Viceroy of India. He held this title until 1947.