Alan Cunningham General Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham , GCMG , KCB , DSO , MC ( 1 May 1887 – 30 January 1983 ) was a British Army officer , noted for victories over Italian forces in the East African Campaign during the Second World War . Later he was the seventh and last High Commissioner of Palestine . He was the younger brother of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope . Early career and World War I . Cunningham was born in Dublin , Ireland . He was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military Academy before taking a commission in the Royal Artillery in 1906 . During World War I , he served with the Royal Horse Artillery , and was awarded a Military Cross in 1915 and the DSO in 1918 . For two years after the war he served as a staff officer in the Straits Settlements . In 1937 Cunningham became the Commander Royal Artillery of the 1st Infantry Division . This was followed in 1938 by promotion to major - general and appointment as commander of the 5th Anti - Aircraft Division . World War II . After the beginning of World War II , Cunningham held a number of short appointments commanding infantry divisions in the United Kingdom ( 66th Division , 9th Division and 51st Division ) before being promoted to lieutenant - general to take command of the East Africa Force in Kenya . During the East African Campaign General Archibald Wavell , the Commander - in - Chief of the British Middle East Command , directed Cunningham to retake British Somaliland and free Addis Ababa , Ethiopia from the Italians whilst forces under the command of Lieutenant - General Sir William Platt would attack from Sudan in the north through Eritrea . Cunningham ' s offensive started with the occupation of the Indian Ocean ports of Kismayu ( ) and Mogadishu ( Italian : Mogadiscio ) , the Italians having fled into the interior of Somalia . On 6 April 1941 , Cunningham ' s forces entered Addis Ababa . On 11 May the northernmost units of Cunningham ' s forces , under South African Brigadier Dan Pienaar linked with Platt ' s forces under Major - General Mosley Mayne to besiege Amba Alagi . On 20 May , Mayne took the surrender of the Italian Army , led by Amedeo di Savoia , 3rd Duke of Aosta , at Amba Alagi . Cunningham ' s campaign was a swift action which resulted in the taking of 50 , 000 prisoners and the loss of only 500 of his men . His success in East Africa led to Cunningham ' s appointment to command the newly formed Eighth Army in North Africa in August 1941 . His immediate task was to lead General Sir Claude Auchinleck ' s Libyan Desert offensive which began on 18 November . However , early losses led Cunningham to recommend the offensive be curtailed . This advice was not accepted by his superiors , and Auchinleck relieved him of his command . He returned to Britain to serve the remainder of the war as Commandant of the Staff College , Camberley ( 1942 ) and General Officer C - in - C in Northern Ireland ( 1943 ) and Eastern Command ( 1944 ) . He was knight ed in 1941 . Post World War II . After World War II , Cunningham , who was promoted to general on 30 October 1945 , returned to the Middle East as High Commissioner of Palestine ; he served in the position from 1945 to 1948 . As such , he was in charge of Britain ' s head - on confrontation with Zionist underground and militia groups who in this period challenged its rule in Palestine - the Hagana , Etzel and Lehi . Cunningham had retired from the army in October 1946 when he relinquished the role of Commander - in - Chief Palestine , but retained the job of High Commissioner until 1948 . As such he had the task of winding up British rule and departing the country in May 1948 , with the British mandate expired , and in the midst of bitter war between newly proclaimed Israel and the Palestinian militias and Arab armies . The photo of Cunningham taking down the British flag at the port of Haifa is a historical photo often reproduced in Israeli history textbooks . Cunningham also served as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery until 1954 . Cunningham died in Royal Tunbridge Wells , Kent , England . External links . city