Army Career
As majors, the brothers both fought in tanks in the Guards Armoured Division in the Second World War, fighting in the breakout from Caen after D-Day: Michael commanded a squadron of the 3rd Scots Guards, while Miles was brigade major of 5th Guards Armoured Brigade. A third brother, Martin, commanded a tank in the 2nd Grenadier Guards. Michael and Miles both won the Military Cross in 1944. Michael's MC was awarded for leading several attacks in the bocage near Estry and Chênedollé. He then became brigade major of the 32nd Guards Brigade, beating his brother in the race to Brussels. Their brigades then leapfrogged each other on the advance through Eindhoven to the Rhine and the Elbe. Michael was mentioned in dispatches.
Michael and Miles, both career officers, remained in the Army after the War. Michael was best man at Miles' wedding in 1949. Both were promoted to colonel in 1958, and then to brigadier in 1961. Miles became a major-general in 1968, three months before his brother.
Fitzalan-Howard served as brigade major with the 1st Guards Brigade in Palestine, and then as an instructor at the Staff Colleges in Haifa in 1946 and at Camberley immediately afterwards. He served as brigade major of the 2nd Guards Brigade in Malaya and in London, and was appointed MBE in 1949. He was appointed MVO in 1953 after working on the funeral of King George VI. He served as second-in-command of the 1st Scots Guards in Suez, then commanded 2nd Scots Guards in 4th Guards Brigade of the British Army of the Rhine. He promoted to brigadier and became chief of staff, London District, in 1958. He returned to Germany to commanded the 4th Guards Brigade, and was advanced to CBE in 1962.
He was promoted to major general in 1964 and became the first commander of the ground forces in Allied Command Europe Mobile Force, a tri-service unit combining forces from several members of NATO. He was then Chief of Staff of Southern Command, based in Salisbury. He was appointed CB in 1968, and was Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District from 1968 to 1971. He was also colonel of the Lancashire Regiment from 1966 to 1970, and then colonel of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment until 1978, and honorary colonel of Cambridge University OTC from 1968 to 1971. He retired from the Army in 1971, and was advanced to KCVO.
Read more about this topic: Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard
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