| Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby | |
|---|---|
Mallaby on his wedding day, 9 April 1935 |
|
| Born | 12 December 1899 |
| Died | 30 October 1945 (aged 45) Surabaya, Dutch East Indies |
| Buried at | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands held | 49th Indian Infantry Brigade |
Brigadier Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby (12 December 1899 – 30 October 1945) was a British Indian Army officer killed in a shootout during the Battle of Surabaya in what was then the Netherlands East Indies during the Indonesian National Revolution. At the time of his death, Mallaby was the Commanding Officer of 49th Indian Brigade.
Mallaby's death became a major event for the hostilities in Surabaya, triggering a retaliatory military action.
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Mallaby was born to William Calthorpe and Katharine Mary Francis Mallaby[1] on 12 December 1899.[2]
Mallaby held a commission in the Indian Army and in 1933 he was appointed as a general staff officer (third class).[3] In 1935 he was granted a brevet promotion to major.[4] During the beginning of the war, Mallaby worked as a major general under Admiral Louis Mountbatten. He mainly did staff jobs,[5] including as Deputy Director of Military Operations (O), at the War Office from 1941 to 1942 and Director of Military Operations at the Army Headquarters in India from 1943 to 1944.[6]
Mallaby was later demoted in order to gain command experience. He led the 49th Indian Infantry Brigade to Indonesia in the middle of the national revolution, to find and repatriate former Japanese prisoners of war. He arrived in Surabaya on 25 October 1945. Upon landing, he sent Captain Douglas MacDonald to contact the leader of the revolutionaries, Moestopo; Moestopo stated that they would not oppose the British forces. Mallaby and his squadron worked under constant supervision by the Indonesians, whom he later told that he was focused on finding the POWs.[5]
However, the situation became more heated on 27 October after Mallaby interpreted pamphlets demanding the immediate surrender of the Indonesians' weapons, signed by General Douglas Hawthorn, as an order. Communications were broken between Mallaby's forces and the Indonesians, and the following day the Indonesians began launching attacks on the 49th Brigade. To quench the fighting, Mallaby was able to contact General Hawthorn through an intermediary and arrange a meeting between himself and President Sukarno, where they negotiated a ceasefire.[5]
Mallaby was killed on 30 October 1945. At the time, he was travelling about Surabaya under a white flag to spread the news about the cease fire agreement[7] and rescue some stranded Maratha troops, despite being warned of the danger by Force 136 troops.[5] When his car approached the British troops' post in the International building near the Jembatan Merah ("Red Bridge"), his car was surrounded by Indonesian Republican militia. Fearing that their commander was about to be attacked, the British troops in the International building, led by Major Venu K. Gopal, fired into the air to disperse the Indonesian militia.[7] The militia, thinking that the British were taking hostile action, fired back at the British troops.[7]
Captain R.C. Smith, who was in the stationary car, reported that a young Republican shot and killed Mallaby after a short conversation. Smith then reported throwing a grenade from the car in the direction of where he thought the shooter had hidden. Although he was not sure whether or not it hit its target, the explosion caused the back seat of the car to ignite.[7] Other accounts, according to the same source,[7] stated that it was the explosion and not a shooter that killed Mallaby.[7]
Mallaby's death was a significant turning point for the hostilities in Surabaya, and a catalyst for the battle to come. The British ordered an Indonesian surrender, and on 10 November they rolled out a large retaliatory attack.[8] His death also caused the British command to lose trust in the Indonesian politicians.[5]
Mallaby married to Margaret Catherine Jones (known as Mollie) on 9 April 1935 at St Mark's church, North Audley Street, London.[9] Mallaby is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Menteng Pulo, Jakarta.[10]
Patrick Heren, writing for Standpoint, notes that Mallaby was considered a "thinking soldier" who preferred discourse over fighting.[5]