Major-General Alan Bruce Blaxland, (17 October 1892 – 2 September 1963) 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 during 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 ...

Early life and First World War

Born on 17 October 1892, he was the second son of the Rev. Bruce Blaxland of

Lilleshall Lilleshall is a village and civil parish in the Telford and Wrekin borough of Shropshire, England. It lies between the towns of Telford and Newport, on the A518, in the Wrekin constituency. There is one school in the centre of the village. ...

. He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by royal charter, to replace the town's Saxon collegiate foundations which were disestablished in the sixteenth century, Shrewsb ...

and went on to

St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (also known as The Hall and Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university" and was the las ...

, graduating in 1914. 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 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

), with seniority of 21 January 1913, from being a university candidate. He was attached to the 1st Battalion,

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

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 between the wars, he served in the

. As an

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

he was an Area Commander in the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

from 16 January to 15 March 1941.Half Yearly Army List January 1946 He was appointed an acting

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 ...

on 16 March 1941 when he was appointed a brigade commander, an appointment he held until 21 July 1942. As part of Paiforce (formerly

Iraqforce Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II. Background During World War I, the British Army defeated the Otto ...

), Blaxland commanded the 27th Indian Infantry Brigade, part of the

6th Indian Infantry Division The 6th Infantry Division is an infantry division of the Indian Army. It was a raised as a part of the Indian Army during World War II on 1 March 1941 in Secunderabad. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to Iraq and later Iran. During 1942 and 19 ...

, during the

Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, also known as the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia, was the joint invasion of the neutral Imperial State of Iran by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union in August 1941. The two powers announced that they wo ...

. On 22 July 1942, he became

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

of the

10th Indian Infantry Division The 10 RAPID Division (erstwhile 10 Inf Division) was a war formed infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. In four years, the division travelled over from Tehran to Trieste, fought three small wars, and fought two gre ...

, then serving in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

until 28 August 1942. He was promoted to an acting

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on 29 August 1942 to command XXV Indian Corps but reverted to major general in August 1943 for his next appointment in India as District Officer Commanding

Lahore District Lahore District () is a Districts of Punjab, Pakistan, district in Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, Pakistan, consisting of the provincial capital, Lahore and surrounding areas. It is the most populous Districts of Pakistan, district of Pakistan, with ...

. After the war he was the chairman of the

Indian National Army The Indian National Army (INA, sometimes Second INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a Empire of Japan, Japanese-allied and -supported armed force constituted in Southeast Asia during World War II and led by Indian Nationalism#An ...

courts-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...

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 Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

in 1945, and awarded the 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.London Gazette 3 June 1947

References

Bibliography

External links

Generals of World War II
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Blaxland, Alan Bruce 1892 births 1963 deaths British Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Order of the Bath Indian Army generals of World War II Indian Army personnel of World War I Officers of the Order of the British Empire Sherwood Foresters officers Military personnel from Shropshire British Indian Army generals Recipients of the Order of the Cloud and Banner People educated at Shrewsbury School Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford