Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

Alan Robert Barker (29 October 1898 – August 1984) was a senior

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

officer of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. On 27 October 1916 Barker was commissioned into the Indian Army on the unattached list, and between January and August 1917 he served with the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

in France. He was promoted to lieutenant on 27 October 1917, and received a commission in the

7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles The 7th Gurkha Rifles was a rifle regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army, following India's independence in 1947 and after 1959 designated as the 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles. History F ...

. Barker then joined the

124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry The 124th Duchess of Connaught's Own Baluchistan Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1820 as the 2nd (Marine) Battalion 12th Regiment of Bombay Native Infantry. It was designated as the 124th Duchess of Connaught' ...

serving in India. In 1919 he was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

for his actions in the

Third Anglo-Afghan War The Third Anglo-Afghan War was a short war which began on 3 May and ended on 8 August 1919. The new Amir of the Emirate of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan declared a Jihad against the British in the hope to proclaim full independence, as well as ...

. Between 1937 and 1940 he was Brigade Major of the Peshawar Brigade, and he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1942. At some point during the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

he attended the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

. In July 1942 Barker became the commander of the 27th Indian Infantry Brigade, and led the brigade during operations in the Middle East. In 1944, he became commander of the 43rd Independent Gurkha Infantry Brigade, engaged in the Italian Campaign. On 18 October 1945 he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

for his leadership during heavy fighting on the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

. On 23 May 1948 he retired from the Indian Army, but was retained on the Army Emergency Reserve of Officers. He was Honorary Colonel of the 10th (Wiltshire) Battalion, Mobile Defence Corps.

References

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Alan 1898 births 1984 deaths British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Afghan War Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Military personnel from Canterbury Indian Army personnel of World War I Indian Army personnel of World War II British Indian Army officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Officers of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Flying Corps officers British brigadiers