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{{short description|British Indian Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Cecil Toovey
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 17 April 1891
| death_date =23 February 1954 (aged 62)
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place =
| death_place = Surrey, England
| nickname =
| allegiance =[[United Kingdom]]
| branch =[[British Army]] [[British Indian Army]]
| serviceyears =1913−1947
| servicenumber =125528
| rank =[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]]
| unit =[[Middlesex Regiment]] [[82nd Punjabis]] [[1st Punjab Regiment]]
| commands =3rd Battalion, [[1st Punjab Regiment]] [[Rawalpindi District]] [[Northern Command (India)|North Western Army]]
| battles =[[World War I|First World War]] [[World War II|Second World War]]
|awards =[[Order of the Bath|Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Military Cross]] and [[Medal bar|Bar]]
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] '''Cecil Wotton Toovey''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Military Cross|MC]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]] (17 April 1891 – 23 February 1954) was a senior [[British Indian Army]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officer]] who commanded the [[Northern Command (India)|North Western Army, India]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]].

==Military career==
Toovey was educated at [[Malvern College]] and [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment|9th Battalion]], [[Middlesex Regiment]] from the Inns of Court Officers Training Corps on 3 May 1913.<ref name=bio>{{Cite web |url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/TOOVEY_Major_General_Cecil_Wotton.pdf |title=British Military History |access-date=2013-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221257/http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/TOOVEY_Major_General_Cecil_Wotton.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He served with his regiment during the early part of the [[World War I|First World War]] before transferring to the [[Indian Army during World War I|Indian Army]] in 1917,<ref>London Gazette 8 March 1918</ref> where he was attached to the [[82nd Punjabis]]. He was awarded the [[Military Cross]] (MC) for organising and leading a [[counterattack]] when in command of his battalion in 1919 on the [[North-West Frontier Province|North West Frontier]].<ref name=bio/><ref>London Gazette 27 September 1920</ref>

After attending the [[Pakistan Command and Staff College|Staff College, Quetta]] from 1924 to 1925,<ref>Smart, p. 311</ref> he was awarded a [[medal bar|bar]] to his MC for gallantry during operations on the North West Frontier during 1930–31.<ref>London Gazette 6 May 1932.</ref> He was appointed [[commanding officer|Commanding Officer]] (CO) of the 3rd Battalion, [[1st Punjab Regiment]] in January 1937 then Assistant Adjutant-General at [[India Command|GHQ India]] in April 1939.<ref name=bio/>

He served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] as Indian Army Liaison Officer at [[Middle East Command]] from May 1940, Commanding Officer, Lines of Communication Eritrea from April 1941 and Deputy Adjutant General at GHQ India from October 1941.<ref name=bio/> He went on to be [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding]] (GOC) [[Rawalpindi District]] in November 1943 and [[General officer commanding|General Officer Commanding-in-Chief]] (GOC-in-C) [[Northern Command (India)|North Western Army]] in June 1945.<ref name=bio/>

He reverted to command of the Rawalpindi District in October 1945.<ref name=bio/> He retired in January 1947<ref>[http://www.generals.dk/general/Toovey/Cecil_Wotton/Great_Britain.html Generals.dk]</ref> and died on 23 February 1954.<ref name=bio/>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==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/Toovey/Cecil_Wotton/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Finnis|Sir Henry Finnis]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Northern Command (India)|GOC-in-C, North Western Army, India]]|years=June – October 1945}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Richard O'Connor|Sir Richard O'Connor]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toovey, Cecil}}
[[Category:1891 births]]
[[Category:1954 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Middlesex Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]

Cecil Toovey - Revision history

Bot at 12:22, 16 October 2022