Thomas Corbett (Indian Army officer)

Thomas William Corbett
Born	2 June 1888
Died	30 December 1980
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Indian Army
Years of service	1907 - 1943
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands held	2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) Sialkot Brigade 31st Indian Armoured Division IV Corps 7th Indian Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	CB (1 January 1941) MC (3 June 1918) MC (7 November 1918)

Lieutenant-General Thomas William Corbett CB MC and bar (2 June 1888 – 30 December 1980) was a British Indian Army officer who commanded IV Corps during World War II.

Military career

Corbett attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned onto the Unattached List for the Indian Army 19 January 1907.^[1] Posted to India he was attached to 1st battalion The Queens regiment 15 March 1907 for a year. He was admitted to Indian Army 15 March 1908 and joined 9th Hodson's Horse.^[2]

At the start of World War I,^[3] he landed in France on the 7 November 1914. He was wounded on 21 December 1914.^[4] He became Staff Captain of the 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade on 4 April 1916,^[5] Brigade Major for 1st Cavalry Brigade on 8 June 1917,^[5] and Brigade Major for the Ambala Brigade on 23 February 1918.^[5] He served in France until 31 March 1918 when transferred to serve in Palestine. Awarded the Military Cross in the London Gazette 3 June 1918. He was wounded on 23 May 1918 leading a trench raid there for which he was later awarded a bar to his MC.^[4][6] He was also mentioned in despatches twice.^[7][8] He went on to be Brigade Major for the 160th Infantry Brigade, Egyptian Expeditionary Force on 2 August 1918.^[5]

After the war Corbett became Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General for 4th Cavalry Division of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force on 7 August 1919 to 31st August 1920 ^[5][9]

He attended Staff College, Quetta in 1921-22 and was appointed a General Staff Officer grade 2 on the General Staff, Southern Command, India from 15 February 1922 until 28 August 1925. He was again appointed a General Staff Officer grade 2 as Staff officer to Major-General Cavalry from 26 September 1925 to 4 December 1926.^[10][11]

He was appointed a General Staff Officer grade 2 and Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta from 14 January 1930 to 31 August 1932^[9] and transferred to 2nd Lancers on 12 May 1930.^[9] He served as Commanding Officer of 2nd Lancers from 31 October 1933 to 7 April 1935.^[12] He was subsequently appointed to the post of Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General from 8 April 1935 to 5 September 1935.^[9] He served as a General Staff Officer grade 1 and Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta from 6 September 1935 to 27 June 1938 and as Commander of the Sialkot Brigade from 2 August 1938 to 28 January 1940.^[9][13]

Corbett served in World War II as a Brigadier responsible for the Cavalry at Army Headquarters India and then as Inspector of Cavalry Army Headquarters India from 29 Jan 1940 to 31 Aug 1940 ^[9] before becoming General Officer Commanding 1st Indian Armoured Division 1 September 1940 (later known as 31st Indian Armoured Division).^[13][14]He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1941.^[15] He went on to be Commander of IV Corps from January to March 1942 in Iraq^[16] before being appointed Chief of Staff in the Middle East later that year.^[3] Corbett was dismissed in the 'Cairo purge' in August 1942. He was then General Officer Commanding 7th Indian Infantry Division in India until July 1943 when he handed command over to Frank Messervy before retiring as a Major General 23 October 1943.^[3][17]

By October 1945 he had been re-employed as head of the Combined Inter Services Historical Section (India) whilst on the Indian Regular Reserve of Officers.^[18]

References