Lord Louis Mountbatten , Chief of Combined Operations , photographed with his staff at headquarters "somewhere in England" . At the age of 41 , Lord Louis Mountbatten is the youngest British Officer in the High Command . At the moment he holds the ranks of Admiral , General and Air Marshal . Seen left to right: Group Captain A H Willetts, DSC ; Rear Admiral H E Horan , DSO ; Major General J C Haydon , DSO ; Vice-Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten ; Air Vice-Marshal J M Ross ; Brigadier G E Wildman-Lushington , and Commodore R M Ellis , DSO . 14th April 1942