Arthur Barrett (Indian Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
Sir Arthur Arnold Barrett GCB
GCSI
KCVO ADC
(3 June 1857 – 20 October 1926) was a British
officer of the Indian Army
.
, Surrey
(now in Greater London
), the son of a clergyman. He was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of Foot
on 10 September 1875 and immediately sailed to join his regiment
in Secunderabad
, India
. In 1878 he was promoted Lieutenant
, although the promotion was backdated to the date of his commission. On 17 January 1879 he transferred to the Indian Staff Corps
.
He was posted to the 3rd Sikhs, a regiment of the Punjab Frontier Force, and served in Afghanistan
including operations around Kabul
in December 1879 and the relief of Kandahar
. On 10 September 1886 he was promoted Captain
.
In 1882 Barrett transferred to the 5th Gurkha Rifles. From 1886 to 1891 he was adjutant
of the Calcutta Volunteers, although he also took part in the Hazara Expedition of 1888
. In 1891 he returned to the Gurkhas and took part in the Miranzai operations and the Hunza-Naga Campaign
. On 10 September 1895 he was promoted Major
and became assistant adjutant-general of the Punjab Frontier Force.
. For this he was mentioned in dispatches
and promoted Brevet
Lieutenant-Colonel on 20 May 1898, being promoted substantively to the rank on 10 September 1901. In 1903 he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB).
In 1905 he became deputy adjutant-general of the Indian Northern Command and in March 1907 he was promoted Major-General and given command of the Nowshera Brigade
. He commanded the second brigade
in the Bazar Valley expedition and operations against the Mohmands in 1908, and for this he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 14 August 1908. In April 1909 he was appointed Adjutant-General in India and in 1912 he was given command of the Poona Division
. On 14 January 1912 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
(KCVO).
in 1914 he was sent to Mesopotamia
(now Iraq
) with his division and quickly occupied the city of Basra
. Before the end of the year he had pushed forwards to occupy the whole area between Al-Qurnah
and the sea. When the troops in Mesopotamia were reorganised as a corps
under John Nixon the following year he retained command of the 6th Division, but soon resigned due to ill-health, passing command to Charles Townshend
. He returned to India, was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India
(KCSI), and became General Officer Commanding
Northern Army. He commanded operations against the Mahsud
s in 1915 and in 1917. On 3 November 1917 he was appointed ADC General
to the King
and in the 1918 King's Birthday Honours he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).
in May 1920. In April 1921 he was promoted Field Marshal
. In 1921 he received the Japan
ese Order of the Rising Sun
1st Class.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Sir Arthur Arnold Barrett GCB
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
GCSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
KCVO ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
(3 June 1857 – 20 October 1926) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
officer of the Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
.
Early life and service
Barrett was born in CarshaltonCarshalton
Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(now in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
), the son of a clergyman. He was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of Foot
44th Regiment of Foot
The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army. After 1782 the regiment became known as the 44th Regiment of Foot. The lineage of the 44th transferred to the Essex Regiment in 1881...
on 10 September 1875 and immediately sailed to join his regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
in Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1878 he was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, although the promotion was backdated to the date of his commission. On 17 January 1879 he transferred to the Indian Staff Corps
Indian Staff Corps
The Indian Staff Corps was a branch of the Indian Army during the British Raj.Separate Staff Corps were formed in 1861 for the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, which were later combined into the Indian Army. They were meant to provide officers for the native regiments and for the staff and army...
.
He was posted to the 3rd Sikhs, a regiment of the Punjab Frontier Force, and served in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
including operations around Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
in December 1879 and the relief of Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. On 10 September 1886 he was promoted Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
In 1882 Barrett transferred to the 5th Gurkha Rifles. From 1886 to 1891 he was adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the Calcutta Volunteers, although he also took part in the Hazara Expedition of 1888
Hazara Expedition of 1888
The Hazara Expedition of 1888, also known as the Black Mountain Expedition or the First Hazara Expedition, was a military campaign by the British against the tribes of Kala Dhaka in the Hazara region of what is now Pakistan.On June 18, 1888 two British officers and four Gurkha soldiers were killed...
. In 1891 he returned to the Gurkhas and took part in the Miranzai operations and the Hunza-Naga Campaign
Hunza-Naga Campaign
The Hunza-Nagar Campaign was fought in 1891 by troops of the British Raj against the princely states of Hunza and Nagar in the Gilgit Agency . It is known in Pakistan as the "Anglo-Brusho War".-Cause:...
. On 10 September 1895 he was promoted Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and became assistant adjutant-general of the Punjab Frontier Force.
Later service in India
From 1897 to 1898 he was deputy assistant quartermaster-general and then assistant quartermaster-general of the large force mobilised to suppress rebellion on the North West FrontierNorth-West Frontier (military history)
The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
. For this he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
and promoted Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Lieutenant-Colonel on 20 May 1898, being promoted substantively to the rank on 10 September 1901. In 1903 he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB).
In 1905 he became deputy adjutant-general of the Indian Northern Command and in March 1907 he was promoted Major-General and given command of the Nowshera Brigade
Nowshera Brigade
The Nowshera Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in September 1939, for service on the North West Frontier...
. He commanded the second brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the Bazar Valley expedition and operations against the Mohmands in 1908, and for this he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 14 August 1908. In April 1909 he was appointed Adjutant-General in India and in 1912 he was given command of the Poona Division
Indian 6th Infantry Division
For the World War I formation see 6th DivisionThe 6th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II, created on 1 March 1941 in Secunderabad. On 11 September 1941 it was shipped to the Iraq and later Iran. During 1942 and 1943 it was part of the Tenth Army...
. On 14 January 1912 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(KCVO).
First World War
On the declaration of war on the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1914 he was sent to Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(now Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
) with his division and quickly occupied the city of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
. Before the end of the year he had pushed forwards to occupy the whole area between Al-Qurnah
Al-Qurnah
Al-Qurnah is a small village in southern Iraq about 74 km northwest of Basra, within the town of Nahairat. Qurna is located at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers join to form the Shatt al-Arab....
and the sea. When the troops in Mesopotamia were reorganised as a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
under John Nixon the following year he retained command of the 6th Division, but soon resigned due to ill-health, passing command to Charles Townshend
Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend
Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend KCB, DSO was a British Indian Army officer who led the ultimately disastrous first British Expedition against Baghdad during World War I, and was later elected to Parliament....
. He returned to India, was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
(KCSI), and became General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
Northern Army. He commanded operations against the Mahsud
Mahsud
Mahsud is a Pashtun tribe in South Waziristan, a tribal region in Pakistan. Mahsud are considered to be one of the bravest and toughest Pashtun Tribes. The Mahsud tribe lives in the centre of South Waziristan valley, surrounded on three sides by the Darwesh Waziris, and being shut off by the...
s in 1915 and in 1917. On 3 November 1917 he was appointed ADC General
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the King
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and in the 1918 King's Birthday Honours he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB).
Third Afghan War
When the Third Afghan War broke out in 1919 Barrett was given command of the North-West Frontier Force and was the senior officer on the ground throughout the war. Afterwards he was promoted to Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI) on 1 January 1920.Retirement
He retired from the Indian ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
in May 1920. In April 1921 he was promoted Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
. In 1921 he received the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
1st Class.