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The Quiet Man. Born 48 years ago in Cheshire, of Irish parents, young Miles Christopher Dempsey went to Shrewsbury and Sandhurst. He fought in the last war, was wounded, won the Military Cross. Since then some wits have called him "Empsey Dempsey Empsey" (M.C. Dempsey, M.C.). Like many another aloof and quiet man, Dempsey has perversely acquired nicknames. Samples: "Bimbo" and "Lucky." In 1940 Dempsey went to France with the 13th Infantry Brigade and took it out again over the Dunkirk beaches. In England he rose rapidly through command and staff posts, learning about tank warfare and amphibious operations. He got into the last stages of the Africa campaign commanding the XIII Corps (he considers 13 his lucky number), took it into Sicily and Italy, fought several highly successful and highly unpublicized actions on the Biferno and Sangro Rivers. Then he was called back to lead Britain's invasion army. Three weeks after Dday, he was knighted.
Dempsey is the kind of general who, when he wants to see his corps commanders, goes to their headquarters. And if they happen to be busy with their own division commanders, he waits until they get through. Although he despises traffic jams, he never allows his driver to sound his siren. He likes cricket, maps, horses, detective stories, dislikes paper work and people who chew gum, has no interest in music or art. A bachelor, he lives with a brother in Sussex when he is in England.
Dempsey's acquaintances, of whom he has many, and his cronies, of whom he has none, agree that he is a splendid general but not a colorful man. Drowned in Monty's color, he was hardly known at all to the British public before Dday, and not much better known now. But the British, and the rest of the world, may hear a great deal about him in the near future.
* Napoleon's crossing was not contested; the people of Baden were on his side. Napoleon was moving to fight Austria, not Bavaria or Prussia.