 Complete the following phrase:  Ritchie was not to remain at Sheerness long, however, as, after being promoted on 22 December 1939 to the acting rank of brigadier, he was made Brigadier-General Staff BGS to II Corps, commanded by Lieutet-General Sir Alan Brooke. II Corps was then serving in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force BEF. Ritchie seems to have immediately impressed Brooke, as on 3 January 1940 the latter wrote in his diary that Ritchie, my new BGS, seems to be turning out well and should, I think, be good. When the so-called Phoney War came to an end in May 1940, which occurred when the German Army invaded France, Ritchie further impressed Brooke by controlling the corps HQ in a calm and confident manner, thus enabling Brooke to concentrate on running the battle on his corps front. After being 