Frank Messervy

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General Sir Frank Messervy

General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO, (1893 - 1974) was a British officer in both the First and Second World Wars and was the first Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Royal Army (15 August 1947 – 10 February 1948 or Aug 1948?). He became a lieutenant-general in 1945; General 1947; General Officer Commanding in Chief or (GOC-in-C) Northern Command, India 1946 – 1947. A letter catalogued by MJF, dated 23 March 1948, refers to Sir Douglas David Gracey as Commander-in-Chief Pakistan Army at that date; but International Who's Who states that Messervy was Commander-in-Chief Pakistan Army until August 1948.

He was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1913 and later joined the 9 Hodson's Horse, India in 1914. He would see action in WW I in France, Palestine and Syria from 1914 to 1918. He later served in Kurdistan in 1919.

He came back to the UK as an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley from 1932 to 1936. He was made Commander 13 Duke of Cambridge's Own Lancers, India, during 1938 and 1939. He became General Staff Officer Grade 1, of the 5th Indian Division and served in 1939 and 1940. He was promoted and sent on a mission as Commander Gazelle Force, Sudan and Eritrea, Abyssinia, during 1940 and 1941; Commanding Officer 9th Indian Brigade, Ethiopia at Keren. He was then sent as Commander 4th Indian Division to North Africa from 1941 to 1942. Next he was made Commander 1st Armoured Division, North Africa, in 1942 and later, in 1942, would serve as Commander 7th Armoured Divisionin North Africa.

He was known as the "Bearded Man" because he tended not to shave in battle. He knew little about tanks and was commanding when Division HQ was captured by the Germans at the start of the Gazala offensive, but managed to bluff them into believing he was a batman and escaped with other members of his staff and rejoined Division HQ the following day. He was dismissed from command of 7th Armoured Division by Major-General Ritchie in 1942 and transferred to the Middle East as Deputy Chief of General Staff, GHQ Middle East 1942 and after a few months as Commander 43rd Indian Armoured Division from 1942 to 1943. He was made Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles, General Headquarters, India Command in 1943 and then served as commander of 7th Indian Division, Arakan, Burma and Imphal and Kohima, India in 1944. In 1945 he captured Rangoon, Burma as Commander IV Corps. For this he was made Commander-in-Chief Malaya Command in 1945. Close to the Indian partition he was made General Officer Commander-in-Chief Northern Command India from 1946 to 1947. Finally when Pakistan came into being he served as Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army from 1947 to 1948. He retired in 1948. He resisted the orders of Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which is seen as the main reason for his early retirement. He died in the United Kingdom in 1974.