Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force Commanders  &  Senior Officers  ©IWM (TR 1541)

D-Day Command and Control Explained

Each element of the allied forces had a complex command structure that covered every aspect of the invasion plan and strategic objectives. It was vital that overall command for Army, Navy and Air-forces was absolute, regardless of individual nation. This listed below are the overall commanders, in turn reporting to the politicians, most notably Churchill and Roosevelt.  

In overall Command

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General Dwight D Eisenhower (1890-1969) was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces for Operation 'Overlord' in late 1943 and headed SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force), which oversaw the entire liberation of Nazi-occupied north-west Europe.

Deputy Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force

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Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder GCB, was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander at SHAEF beneath General Eisenhower, taking up the role in January 1944. He was also responsible for all Allied bomber aircraft.

Commander of Allied Ground Forces

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General (later Field Marshal) Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) was Commander in Chief of the Allied Ground Forces for the invasion and made major contributions to the shape of 'Overlord' and the overall campaign in north-west Europe.

Commander of Allied Air Forces

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Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory (1892-1944) was Commander in Chief of the Allied Air Forces for Operation 'Overlord' and was responsible for coordinating air support for the invasion.

Commander of Allied Naval Forces

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Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay (1883-1945) was Commander in Chief of the Allied Naval Forces for Operation 'Neptune', the naval component of 'Overlord'.

Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan (1894-1967) was the principal planner of Operation 'Overlord'. In early 1943, Morgan was appointed Chief of Staff to the then-unnamed Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) and it was his job to produce a plan for the invasion of Europe. Morgan's plan identified Normandy as the best invasion site and he recommended the use of artificial Harbours for the resupply of men and equipment. 

The Allied Commanders were initially based in and around London, but as the plans neared execution in April 1944  Eisenhower, Montgomery and Ramsay moved to Southwick House, Hampshire, known as the Advanced Command Post to be close to the primary ports and Fort Southwick, the forward Coordination and Communications Centre.

Both Eisenhower and Montgomery had their own separate (forward HQ) command posts hidden in woodland nearby. Codenamed 'Sharpener' Montgomery's compact post was much smaller that Eisenhower's 'Shipmate' which consisted of about 1,000 men. Both Forward HQs were moved to France after 1 September 1944. 

Page Updated: February 2025.