British admiral and administrator.In World War II he became chief of combined operations 1942 and commander in chief in SE Asia 1943. As last viceroy and governor general of India 1947-48, he oversaw that country's transition to independence. He was killed by an Irish Republican Army bomb aboard his yacht in the Republic of Ireland. KCVO 1922, Viscount 1945, Earl 1947. As chief of combined operations 1942 he was criticized for the heavy loss of Allied lives in the disastrous Dieppe raid. In SE Asia he concentrated on the reconquest of Burma, although the campaign was actually conducted by General Slim. Mountbatten accepted the surrender of 750,000 Japanese troops in his area of command at a formal parade in Singapore Sept 1945. He was chief of UK Defence Staff 1959-65.
