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Bot at 23:51, 1 October 2022

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{{Short description|British Indian Army general (1888–1981)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Thomas Corbett
|image=
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth date|1888|06|02|df=yes}}
|birth_place=
|death_date= {{death date and age|1981|12|30|1888|06|02|df=yes}}
|death_place= [[Sussex]], England
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[British Indian Army]]
|serviceyears= 1907–1943
|rank= [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant general]]
|servicenumber= 173461
|unit=
|commands= {{nowrap|[[7th Indian Infantry Division]] (1942–43)}} [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]] (1942) [[31st Indian Armoured Division]] (1940–42) [[Sialkot Brigade]] (1938–40)
|battles= [[World War I]] [[World War II]]
|awards= [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Military Cross]] & [[Medal bar|Bar]] [[Mentioned in dispatches]] (2)
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
[[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] '''Thomas William Corbett''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|MC1}} (2 June 1888 – 30 December 1981) was a [[British Indian Army]] officer who commanded the [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]] during the [[Second World War]].

==Early life and military career==
Corbett attended the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]] and was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] onto the Unattached List for the [[British Indian Army]] on 19 January 1907.<ref>London Gazette 18 January 1907</ref> Posted to India, he was attached to the 1st Battalion The Queens Regiment on 15 March 1907 for a year. He was admitted to Indian Army 15 March 1908 and joined [[9th Hodson's Horse]].<ref>January 1915 Indian Army List</ref>

Following the outbreak of [[World War I]],<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/CORBETT.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref> Corbett landed in France on 7 November 1914 and was wounded on 21 December.<ref name="ReferenceA">Cardew, Major F. G., O.B.E., Hodson's Horse 1857–1922</ref> He became staff captain of the [[3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade]] on 4 April 1916,<ref name="ReferenceB">Quarterly Army List for quarter ending 31 March 1922</ref> [[brigade major]] for the [[1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade|1st Cavalry Brigade]] on 8 June 1917,<ref name="ReferenceB"/> and brigade major for the Ambala Brigade on 23 February 1918.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> He served in France until 31 March 1918, when he transferred to serve in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. He was awarded the [[Military Cross]] in the ''[[London Gazette]]'' of 3 June 1918. He was wounded on 23 May while leading a trench raid, for which he was later awarded a [[Medal bar|Bar]] to his Military Cross.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30997|supp=y|page=13137|date=5 November 1918}}</ref> Corbett was also [[mentioned in dispatches]] twice.<ref>London Gazette 1 January 1916</ref><ref>London Gazette 15 May 1917</ref> He went on to be brigade major for the [[160th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Wales|160th Brigade]], [[Egyptian Expeditionary Force]] on 2 August 1918.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

==Between the wars==
After the war Corbett became Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General for [[4th Cavalry Division (British Indian Army)|4th Cavalry Division]] of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 7 August 1919 to 31 August 1920.<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941">Indian Army List Supplement 1941</ref>

Corbett attended [[Pakistan Command and Staff College|Staff College, Quetta]] in 1921–22 and was appointed a general staff officer grade 2 on the General Staff, Southern Command, India from 15 February 1922 until 28 August 1925. He was again appointed a general staff officer grade 2 as staff officer to Major-General Cavalry from 26 September 1925 to 4 December 1926.<ref>Indian Army Lists July 1921, October 1923 & October 1925</ref><ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/>

Corbett was appointed a general staff officer grade 2 and instructor at the Staff College, Quetta from 14 January 1930 to 31 August 1932,<ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/> and transferred to 2nd Lancers on 12 May 1930.<ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/> He served as commanding officer of 2nd Lancers from 31 October 1933 to 7 April 1935.<ref>Indian Army List April 1934 & Indian Army List Supplement 1941</ref> He was subsequently appointed to the post of assistant adjutant and quartermaster general from 8 April 1935 to 5 September 1935.<ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/> He served as a general staff officer grade 1 and instructor at the Staff College, Quetta from 6 September 1935 to 27 June 1938 and as commander of the [[Sialkot Brigade]] from 2 August 1938 to 28 January 1940.<ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/><ref name=dk>[http://www.generals.dk/general/Corbett/Thomas_William/Great_Britain.html Generals.dk]</ref>

==Second World War==
Corbett served in the [[Second World War]] as a brigadier responsible for the cavalry at [[India Command|Army Headquarters India]] and then as Inspector of Cavalry Army Headquarters India from 29 January 1940 to 31 August 1940,<ref name="Indian Army List Supplement 1941"/> before becoming [[General Officer Commanding]] (GOC) of the 1st Indian Armoured Division on 1 September (later known as [[31st Indian Armoured Division]]).<ref name=dk/><ref>Half Yearly Army List 1941</ref> He was appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in January 1941.<ref>London Gazette 1 January 1941</ref> He went on to be commander of [[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|IV Corps]] from January to March 1942 in Iraq,<ref>[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf Army Commands] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |date=5 July 2015 }}</ref> before being appointed chief of staff in the Middle East later that year.<ref name=lh/> Corbett was dismissed in the 'Cairo purge' in August 1942. He was then GOC [[7th Indian Infantry Division]] in India from 23 October 1942 until July 1943, when he handed command over to [[Frank Messervy]] before retiring as a major general 23 October 1943.<ref> July 1943 Most Secret edition, Indian Army List, page 56</ref><ref name=lh/><ref>London Gazette 31 December 1943</ref>

By October 1945 Corbett had been re-employed as head of the Combined Inter Services Historical Section (India) while on the Indian Regular Reserve of Officers.<ref>October 1945 Indian Army List</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://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/9/resources/1498 The Papers of Lieutenant-General Thomas Corbett] held at [[Churchill Archives Centre]], Cambridge
*[https://generals.dk/general/Corbett/Thomas_William/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-new|command|rows=2}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[31st Indian Armoured Division|GOC 1st Indian Armoured Division]]|years=1940–1941}}
{{s-non|reason=Post redesignated 31st Indian Armoured Division}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=[[31st Indian Armoured Division|GOC 31st Indian Armoured Division]]|years=1941–1942}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Robert Wordsworth]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Francis Nosworthy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[IV Corps (United Kingdom)|GOC IV Corps]]|years=January – March 1942}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Noel Irwin]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Roland Richardson (Indian Army officer)|Roland Richardson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[7th Indian Infantry Division|GOC 7th Indian Infantry Division]]|years=1942–1943}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frank Messervy]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbett, Thomas}}
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the Staff College, Quetta]]
[[Category:Indian Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta]]
[[Category:British Indian Army generals]]

Thomas Corbett (Indian Army officer) - Revision history

Bot at 23:51, 1 October 2022

Bot at 23:51, 1 October 2022