Bot at 01:12, 28 May 2022

2022-05-28T01:12:26Z

New page

{{Short description|British Indian Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Alan Blaxland
|image=
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|birth_name= Alan Bruce Blaxland
|birth_date= {{birth date|1892|10|17|df=yes}}
|birth_place= [[Lilleshall]], [[Shropshire]], [[England]]<ref name="1911census">''1911 England Census''</ref>
|death_date= 2 September 1963 (aged 70)<ref name="times"/>
|death_place= [[Deal, Kent]], England
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[British Army]] [[British Indian Army]]
|serviceyears= 1913–1947
|servicenumber= 8681
|rank= [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]]
|unit= [[Sherwood Foresters]] [[7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs]]
|commands= [[Lahore|Lahore District]] (1943–46) [[XXV Indian Corps]] (1943){{fact|date=February 2022}} [[10th Indian Infantry Division]] (1942–43) [[27th Indian Infantry Brigade]] (1941–42) 4th Battalion, [[7th Rajput Regiment]] (1938–40)
|battles= [[World War I|First World War]] [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]] [[World War II|Second World War]]
|awards= [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] Officer of the [[Order of the British Empire]] [[Mentioned in Despatches]] [[Order of the Cloud and Banner|Order of the Cloud and Banner with Special Cravat]] (China)
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major-General]] '''Alan Bruce Blaxland''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CB|OBE}} (17 October 1892 – 2 September 1963) was a senior [[British Indian Army]] officer during the [[Second World War]].<ref name="times">{{cite news |title= Obituary: Maj.-Gen. A. B. Blaxland |work=[[The Times]] |date= 3 September 1963|page=Maj.-Gen. A. B. Blaxland }}</ref>

==Early life and First World War==
Born on 17 October 1892, Blaxland was commissioned onto the Unattached List for the Indian Army on 5 August 1914 (the day after Britain's entry into the [[First World War]]), with seniority of 21 January 1913, from being a university candidate. He was attached to the 1st Battalion, [[Sherwood Foresters]] in 1914. He later joined the Indian Army.

He was a captain when he married Lilian Ann Lucy in India 19 August 1919.

==Second World War==
Remaining in the army [[interwar period|between the wars]], he served in the [[Second World War]]. As an [[Acting (rank)|acting]] [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|colonel]] he was an Area Commander in the [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan|Sudan]] from 16 January to 15 March 1941.<ref name="Half">Half Yearly Army List January 1946</ref>

He was appointed an acting [[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|brigadier]] on 16 March 1941 when he was appointed a brigade commander, an appointment he held until 21 July 1942.<ref name="Half"/> As part of Paiforce (formerly [[Iraqforce]]), Blaxland commanded the [[27th Indian Infantry Brigade]], part of the [[6th Infantry Division (India)|6th Indian Infantry Division]], during the [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia]]. On 22 July 1942, he became [[General Officer Commanding]] of the [[10th Indian Infantry Division]], then serving in the [[Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II|Middle East]] until 28 August 1942. He was promoted to an acting [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|lieutenant general]] on 29 August 1942{{fact|reason=Gazette states that he was a Lt-Col, with an acting rank of brigadier. In August he was promoted to acting major-general. London Gazette issue 35735 page 4377 6 October 1942|date=February 2022}} to command [[XXV Indian Corps]]{{fact|reason=Yet to find any WP:RS that states this corp existed. Nick Smart wrote he was "GOC of 10th Indian Division in North Africa and Cyprus 1942–43". A XXV Corps was created as a British deception corps during this period, and was on Cyprus. Smart wrote Blaxland was briefly a corps commander, but does not state what corps or when and where. He does not Blaxland GOX 10th Indian Div during this period on Cyrpus.|date=February 2022}} but reverted to [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|major general]] in August 1943 for his next appointment in India as District Officer Commanding [[Lahore|Lahore District]].<ref>London Gazette 18 October 1946</ref>

After the war he was the chairman of the [[Indian National Army]] [[Courts-martial|court-martials]] held at the Red Fort at Delhi between November 1945 and May 1946.

In recognition of his services, Blaxland was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in 1945, and awarded the [[Order of the Cloud and Banner|Order of the Cloud and Banner with Special Cravat]] by China in 1947.

He retired as a colonel and honorary major general on 22 May 1947.<ref>London Gazette 3 June 1947</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

==External links==
*[https://generals.dk/general/Blaxland/Alan_Bruce/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[John Nichols (British Army officer)|John Nichols]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[10th Indian Infantry Division|GOC 10th Indian Infantry Division]]|years=1942–1943}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Wilfrid Lewis Lloyd|Wilfrid Lloyd]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=New post}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[XXV Indian Corps|GOV XXV Indian Corps]]|years=1943}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ivor Hughes]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blaxland, Alan Bruce}}
[[Category:1892 births]]
[[Category:1963 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Indian Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Sherwood Foresters officers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Shropshire]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]

Alan Bruce Blaxland - Revision history

Bot at 01:12, 28 May 2022