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{{Short description|British Indian Army general (1899–1945)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby
| birth_date = 12 December 1899
| death_date = {{BirthDeathAge|df=yes||1899|12|12|1945|10|30|yes}}
| birth_place = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]
| death_place = [[Surabaya]], [[Indonesia]]
| placeofburial = [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
| placeofburial_label =
| image = Aubertin Mallaby.jpg
| caption = Mallaby on his wedding day, 9 April 1935
| nickname =
| allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| branch = {{Army|British India}}
| unit =[[27th Punjabis]]<br />[[15th Punjab Regiment]]
| serviceyears = 1918–1945
| rank = [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] (posthumous)
| commands = [[49th Indian Infantry Brigade]]
| awards =
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}

[[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] '''Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby''' [[Order of the Indian Empire|CIE]] [[OBE]] (12 December 1899 – 30 October 1945) was a [[British Indian Army]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] killed in a shootout during the [[Battle of Surabaya]] in what was then the newly proclaimed as independent [[Republic of Indonesia]] during the [[Indonesian National Revolution]]. At the time of his death, Mallaby was the [[Commanding officer|Commanding Officer]] (CO) of the [[49th Indian Infantry Brigade]].

Mallaby's death became a major event of hostilities in Surabaya surrounding Indonesian independence, triggering a retaliatory military action by British forces in the city, from the [[5th Infantry Division (India)|5th Indian Division]].<ref name="Archived copy">{{cite web |url=http://ourstory.info/library/4-ww2/Ball/fire18.html |title=Anthony Brett-James. Ball of Fire. Fifth Indian Division in the Second World War. 1951. Chapter 32. Epilogue. Appendices. |website=ourstory.info |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214041206/http://ourstory.info/library/4-ww2/Ball/fire18.html |archive-date=14 February 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Mallaby was born to actor and acting company manager William Calthorpe Mallaby (né William Calthorpe Deeley- his father insisted on a stage name;<ref>Blockbuster! Fergus Hume and the Mystery of a Hansom Cab, Lucy Sussex, Text Publishing Co., 2015, p. 162</ref> d. 1912) and Katharine Mary Francis, daughter of George Miller, [[Order of the Bath|CB]], Assistant Secretary of the Board of Education (son of Rev. [[Sir Thomas Miller, 6th Baronet|Sir Thomas Combe Miller, 6th Baronet]])<ref>Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Morley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, p. 2697</ref>{{sfn|ROH, Jakarta War Cemetery}} on 12 December 1899.{{sfn|''The Times'', 1 November 1945}} His younger brother was the public servant [[George Mallaby (public servant)|George Mallaby]], [[List of High Commissioners from the United Kingdom to New Zealand|British High Commissioner to New Zealand]] from 1957 to 1959.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31402|doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/31402|chapter = Mallaby, Sir (Howard) George Charles (1902–1978), public servant and headmaster|title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|year = 2004|last1 = Gittings|first1 = Robert|isbn = 9780198614128}}</ref>

Mallaby attended the [[Wellington Cadet College]] in India and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on the Unattached List, Indian Army on 1 October 1918, being admitted to the Indian Army on 8 October 1918 and was appointed to the [[27th Punjabis]]. He transferred to the 67th Punjabis (later 1st battalion, 2nd Punjab regiment) on 20 July 1919 and promoted [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 1 October 1919. He served in [[Waziristan]] between 1921 and 1924. He received promotion to [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] on 1 October 1924.

Mallaby attended [[Camberley Staff College]] between 1930–1931 and was appointed a General Staff Officer, 3rd grade on 5 February 1933,<ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 33930| date = 14 April 1933|page=2566}}</ref> being promoted to General Staff Officer, 2nd grade (for RAF co-operation duties), on 1 April 1933. This appointment lasted until 4 February 1937. He was promoted [[Brevet (rank)|brevet]] [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] on 1 July 1935<ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 34176| date = 2 July 1935|page=4260}}</ref> and substantive major on 1 October 1936.

He was appointed a General Staff Officer, 2nd grade at the War Office in London on 1 March 1938 (being promoted war substantive Lt-Col on 15 August 1941), later being appointed Deputy Director of Military Operation in the rank of [[Brigadier]] and remained at the War Office until 1942. He was appointed an Officer of the [[Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] [[OBE]] as Major, temporary Lt-Col, acting Brigadier.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=35204| date=27 June 1941|page=3739| supp=y}}</ref>

Mallaby returned to India and served as major and second in command of the 6th Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment, from April to August 1943. In August 1943 he was given command of a battalion of the Hyderabad Regiment but after only 6 weeks in command he was appointed Director of Military Operations at G. H. Q. India with the acting rank of Major General.{{sfn|Ammentorp 2000, Mallaby, Aubertin Walter}}<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=35998| date=30 April 1943|page=1960}}</ref> He was promoted from acting to temporary Major-General and war substantive Colonel on 1 March 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=36683| date=1 September 1944|page=4080}}</ref> In order to obtain operational experience he dropped in rank to temporary Brigadier in July 1944 and was given command of the [[49th Indian Infantry Brigade]], then serving with the 23rd Indian Division. His substantive (permanent) rank was advanced to lieutenant-colonel in October 1944.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=36842| date=15 December 1944|page=5760}}</ref>

Mallaby was appointed a Companion of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire in the London Gazette of 1 January 1945 as a temporary Brigadier.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=36866| date=29 December 1944|page=7| supp=y}}</ref>

He led the 49th Indian Infantry Brigade (part of the 5th Indian Division) to Indonesia in the middle of the [[Indonesian National Revolution|national revolution]], to find and repatriate former Japanese prisoners of war.<ref name="Archived copy"/> 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 brigade worked under constant supervision by the Indonesians, whom he later told that he was focused on finding the POWs.{{sfn|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}}

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 [[battle of Surabaya|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.{{sfn|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}}

=== Death ===

[[File:LaSalle 1940 Series 52 Sedan of Brigadier-Mallaby - Burnt Car - 194511.jpg|thumb|250px|The burnt-out car of Brigadier Mallaby where he was killed on 30 October 1945.]]

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{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}} and rescue some stranded [[5th Mahratta Light Infantry|Mahratta]] troops, despite being warned of the danger by [[Force 136]] troops.{{sfn|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}} When his car approached the British troops' post in the International building near the ''[[Red Bridge (Surabaya)|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.{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}} The militia, thinking that the British were taking hostile action, fired back at the British troops.{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}}

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.{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}} Other accounts, according to the same source,{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}} stated that it was the explosion and not a shooter that killed Mallaby.{{sfn|Parrott|1975|p=75}}

Whatever the exact circumstances of his demise, 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.{{sfn|Ricklefs|1993|p=217}} His death also caused the British command to lose trust in the Indonesian politicians.{{sfn|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}}

He received a posthumous [[Mention In Despatches]] in April 1946 as a Temporary Brigadier.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=37521| date=2 April 1946|page=1670| supp=y}}</ref>

Mallaby's killer was an unsolved mystery. Reportedly, his identity was only known by a number of top republicans such as [[:id:Doel Arnowo|Doel Arnowo]] and [[Ruslan Abdulgani|Roeslan Abdulgani]]. The top republicans however, were unpleased to learn of the attack on Mallaby, knowing that his death may result in dire consequence to Surabaya and its residents. They asked the killer to keep silent and told nobody about his involvement in the killing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Firdausi|first=Fadrik Aziz|date=18 January 2020|title=Doel Arnowo, Ia yang Menyimpan Rahasia Terbunuhnya Brigjen Mallaby|url=https://tirto.id/doel-arnowo-ia-yang-menyimpan-rahasia-terbunuhnya-brigjen-mallaby-esM8|url-status=live|access-date=1 June 2021|website=tirto.id|language=id|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125155006/https://tirto.id/doel-arnowo-ia-yang-menyimpan-rahasia-terbunuhnya-brigjen-mallaby-esM8 |archive-date=25 January 2020 }}</ref> Although Doel Arnowo admitted in 1970 that a young republican was indeed the killer, his name was not mentioned. Until their deaths, they kept the identity of the killer a secret.<ref name=":0" /> 73 years later after the incident, a local [[Ampel]] resident, Muhammad Chotib, revealed an untold story to the media and told that his late father, Abdul Aziz a.k.a Endog (Javanese word of Egg, due to his job as egg seller), was Mallaby's killer. Local Surabaya historian Ady Erlianto Setyawan also confirmed that the possibility of Abdul Aziz being the killer was high, since the claim is also supported by testimony of the last known witness present on the killing site, a Republican journalist of Arab descent, Amak Altuwy.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wirayudha|first=Randy|date=12 November 2018|title=Lelaki Pencabut Nyawa Mallaby|url=https://historia.id/politik/articles/lelaki-pencabut-nyawa-mallaby-vxJ3A|url-status=live|access-date=1 June 2021|website=Historia - Majalah Sejarah Populer Pertama di Indonesia|language=id-ID|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308182248/https://historia.id/politik/articles/lelaki-pencabut-nyawa-mallaby-vxJ3A |archive-date=8 March 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Amin|first=Ilham|date=19 November 2019|title=Ajal Dua Jenderal Inggris dan Epos Lain yang Tak Tercatat|url=https://voi.id/tulisan-seri/199/ajal-dua-jenderal-inggris-dan-epos-lain-yang-tak-tercatat|url-status=live|access-date=1 June 2021|website=VOI - Waktunya Merevolusi Pemberitaan|language=id|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804225453/https://voi.id/tulisan-seri/199/ajal-dua-jenderal-inggris-dan-epos-lain-yang-tak-tercatat |archive-date=4 August 2020 }}</ref>

== Personal life ==

Mallaby married Margaret Catherine Jones (known as Mollie) on 9 April 1935 at St Mark's Church, North Audley Street, London.<ref>{{cite news| newspaper = [[The Times]]| date = 10 April 1935| title = Marriages| page = 17}}</ref> Mallaby is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in Menteng Pulo, [[Jakarta]].{{sfn|''Jakarta Post'', Menteng Pulo, a graveyard}} His son, Sir [[Christopher Mallaby]], was later British [[Ambassador]] to Germany and to France.

== Views of Mallaby ==

Patrick Heren, writing for ''[[Standpoint (magazine)|Standpoint]]'', notes that Mallaby was considered a "thinking soldier" who preferred discourse over fighting.{{sfn|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}}

== References ==

'''Footnotes'''

{{Reflist|24em}}

'''Bibliography'''

{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite web
| last = Ammentorp
| first = Steen
| year = 2000
| title = Mallaby, Aubertin Walter Sothern, Major-General
| work = generals.dk
| url = http://generals.dk/general/Mallaby/Aubertin_Walter_Sothern/Great_Britain.html
| access-date = 2 October 2011
| ref = {{sfnRef|Ammentorp 2000, Mallaby, Aubertin Walter}}
}}
* {{cite web
| last = Heren
| first = Patrick
| date = November 2010
| title = The Death Knell of the British Empire
| publisher = [[Standpoint (magazine)|Standpoint]]
| url = http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/node/3489/full
| access-date = 2 October 2011
| ref = {{sfnRef|Heren 2010, The Death Knell}}
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111104231612/http://standpointmag.co.uk/node/3489/full
| archive-date = 4 November 2011
| url-status = dead
}}
* {{cite web
| title = Jakarta War Cemetery Roll of Honour
| work = Roll of Honour.org
| url = http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Cemeteries/Jakarta_War_Cemetery/html/m.htm
| access-date = 2 October 2011
| ref = {{sfnRef|ROH, Jakarta War Cemetery}}
}}
* {{cite news
|newspaper=The Jakarta Post
|date=6 June 1999 |title=Menteng Pulo, a graveyard full of history
|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/1999/06/06/menteng-pulo-a-graveyard-full-history.html
|access-date=2 October 2011 |ref={{sfnRef|''Jakarta Post'', Menteng Pulo, a graveyard}}
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114232341/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/1999/06/06/menteng-pulo-a-graveyard-full-history.html
|archive-date=14 November 2012 }}
* {{cite journal
| last = Parrott
| first = J. G. A.
| date = October 1975
| title = Who Killed Brigadier Mallaby?
| journal = Indonesia
| issue = 20
| pages = 87–111
| url = http://cip.cornell.edu/seap.indo/1107105571
| access-date = 3 August 2012
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060916200808/http://cip.cornell.edu/Dienst/UI/1.0/Summarize/seap.indo/1107105571
| archive-date = 16 September 2006
| doi = 10.2307/3350997
| jstor = 3350997
| hdl = 1813/53609
| hdl-access = free
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Ricklefs
| first = M.C.
| authorlink =
| year = 1993
| title = A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300
| edition = 2nd
| publisher = MacMillan
| location = London
| url =
| isbn = 978-0-333-57689-2
}}
* {{cite news
| newspaper = [[The Times]]
| date = 1 November 1945
| title = Obituary: Brig. A.W.S Mallaby
| page = 6
| ref = {{sfnRef|''The Times'', 1 November 1945}}
}}
* The Golden Galley. The story of the Second Punjab Regiment 1761–1947
* Indian Army List (various dates)
* {{Cite book|title=Living the Cold War: memoirs of a British diplomat|last=Mallaby|first=Christopher|date=October 2017|isbn=9781445669618|publisher=Amberley Publishing|location=Stroud|oclc=1013933406}}
{{Refend}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallaby, Aubertin Walter Sothern}}
[[Category:1899 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:Indian Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:Deaths in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Surabaya]]
[[Category:People of the Indonesian National Revolution]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Mallaby family|Aubertin]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]

Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby - Revision history

Bot at 19:07, 10 November 2022