George Patton

Military Officer

November 11, 1885 San Gabriel, California, United States

December 21, 1945 Heidelberg, Germany

Beatrice Banning Ayer (m. 1910–1945)

General George Patton was a famous US military commander who was best known for his bold and decisive actions during World War I and World War II. He belonged to an affluent family with a military background and was an avid reader of military history. He also had a flair for horse riding and sword fencing. During World War I, he commanded the ‘US 1st Provisional Tank Brigade’ against the Germans in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse–Argonne Offensive. He was wounded during an attack near the town of Cheppy but continued to command his troops till he was evacuated. When World War II broke out, he commanded the ‘Western Task Force’ that landed in Casablanca and defeated the Vichy French forces. Under his dynamic leadership, the German and the Italian forces under Rommel were pushed back in the Battle of El Guettar and in Gabès. He was made the commander of ‘Operation Husky,’ or the invasion of Sicily. Later, he commanded the ‘US Third Army’ that routed the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge and crossed the Rhine to maintain their momentum against the Germans till the end of the war in Europe.