Editing Miles Dempsey (section)

==Early life and military career==
Miles Christopher Dempsey was born in [[New Brighton, Merseyside|New Brighton]], [[Wallasey]], Cheshire, on 15 December 1896,<ref name="odnb">{{Cite ODNB |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/32780 |title=Dempsey, Sir Miles Christopher |first=John |last=Strawson |author-link=John Strawson |date=6 January 2011 }}</ref> the third and youngest son of Arthur Francis, a marine insurance broker, and his wife Margaret Maud De La Fosse, the daughter of [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] Henry De La Fosse.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|p=1}} Dempsey was the descendant of a clan in [[County Offaly]] and [[County Laois]] in Ireland.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|p=1}}{{sfn|Matthews|1903|pp=22–25}} His ancestor [[Terence O'Dempsey, 1st Viscount Clanmalier|Terence O'Dempsey]] had been knighted on the field of battle by [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]] on 22 May 1599,{{sfn|Matthews|1903|pp=91–92}} and was created [[Viscount Clanmalier]] in 1631.{{sfn|Matthews|1903|pp=117–118}} [[Maximilian O'Dempsey, 3rd Viscount Clanmalier]], was loyal to the Catholic [[King James II]] and, as a result, was [[attainted]], and the family lost all their lands in 1691.{{sfn|Matthews|1903|pp=117–118}}  Dempsey's branch of the family left Ireland and by the mid-19th century had settled in Cheshire.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|p=1}}

When Dempsey was six years old, his father killed himself, after which the family moved to [[Crawley]] in Sussex.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|p=1}} Dempsey was educated at [[Shrewsbury School]], entering there in 1911. He captained the first eleven cricket team in the 1914 season, when they did not lose a match. He was a school and house monitor, and played in the second eleven football team. He attended [[Officers' Training Corps]] camp at [[Rugeley]], reaching the rank of [[sergeant]] by 1914. The Great War broke out in August of that year, and in October he left Shrewsbury to enter the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], at the age of 17.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=2–3}} He graduated in February 1915 and was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Royal Berkshire Regiment]].{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=4–5}}<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29292 |date=10 September 1915|page=9066 |supp=y}}</ref>

Promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] in August,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29489 |date=25 February 1916|page=2101}}</ref> Dempsey attended training courses until he reached the age of 19 and was eligible to proceed overseas. He served on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] with the 1st Battalion, Royal Berkshires, from June 1916 onwards.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=4–5}} The battalion was part of the [[99th Brigade (United Kingdom)|99th Brigade]] of the [[2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|2nd Division]].{{sfn|Wyrall|1921a|pp=245–246}} Dempsey, serving as a [[Platoon|platoon commander]] in D Company, first saw action during the [[Battle of Delville Wood]] in late July 1916, part of the larger [[Battle of the Somme|Somme offensive]]. Although successful, the battalion suffered heavy casualties, including eight officers. It was relieved in the line and saw little further fighting that year. Dempsey was promoted to the [[Acting (rank)|acting]] rank of [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] and assumed command of D Company, and later B Company. In November the battalion took part in an assault on Munich Trench, near the [[Serre (river)|River Serre]]. As at Delville Wood earlier in the year, the assault was successful but with heavy losses, although Dempsey again remained unscathed, and soon returned to England for home [[Leave (military)|leave]].{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=8–10}} On 8 February 1917 he became the [[adjutant]] of the battalion.{{sfn|Caddick-Adams|2005|p=67}}

Following attacks near [[Miraumont]] and then [[Oppy, Pas-de-Calais|Oppy]] in April,{{sfn|Wyrall|1921b|p=431}} the battalion, badly understrength, remained in a quiet sector of the front for most of the year and was temporarily merged with the 23rd (Service) Battalion, [[Royal Fusiliers]]. Dempsey was posted as a [[Staff (military)|staff officer]] at [[II Corps (United Kingdom)|II Corps]] headquarters (HQ), before returning to the 1st Royal Berkshires, this time in command of A Company. In late November the battalion attacked Bourlon Wood as part of the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]].{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=10–11}}

On 12 March 1918, as the Germans prepared to launch their [[German spring offensive|Spring Offensive]], they laid down a heavy [[Chemical weapons in World War I|mustard gas]] [[Barrage (artillery)|barrage]] on Dempsey's battalion, which was now at [[Lavacquerie]] with Dempsey commanding D Company. Dempsey, along with 10 other officers and 250 [[Other ranks (UK)|other ranks]], was gassed and later evacuated to England, where he had a lung removed.{{sfn|Rostron|2010|pp=12–14}} He returned to the battalion on 6 July, where, with the tide of the war having turned, the 1st Royal Berkshires took part in the [[Hundred Days Offensive]] until the war ended on with the [[armistice of 11 November 1918]]. Dempsey served as adjutant again from 5 October to 4 November.{{sfn|Caddick-Adams|2005|p=67}} Dempsey was [[mentioned in despatches]] on 8 November 1918,<ref name="mid1">{{London Gazette |date=27 December 1918 |issue=31085 |supp=1 |page=15156}}</ref>{{sfn|Rostron|2010|p=15}} and awarded the [[Military Cross]], which was gazetted in the [[1919 Birthday Honours (MC)|King's Birthday Honours list on 3 June 1919]].<ref name="MC">{{London Gazette |issue=31371 |supp=y |date=30 May 1919|page=6826}}</ref>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=81}}