Alexander Cobbe
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Alexander Stanhope Cobbe VC
GCB
KCSI
DSO
(6 June 1870 – 29 June 1931) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
and then followed his elder brother Henry Hercules Cobbe to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he passed out in 1889. At the age of 19 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers, 10 years after that regiment had earned seven Victoria Crosses and immortal fame at the battle of Rorke's Drift
.
', which is how Cobbe was referred to in all later Gazette entries. In India in 1895 Cobbe gained his first medal, the India Medal
(1895–1902), with the clasp “Relief of Chitral
”. This campaign was one of the many on the Northwest Frontier
to quell unrest against British rule.
His next medals, however, were to be gained in Africa
. At this time many regiments of the Indian Army were sent to Africa to support British foreign policy in the region. On this continent Cobbe was kept busy on several minor colonial campaigns gaining him the Central Africa Medal with clasp “Central Africa 1894-1898”, the East and West Africa Medal (1887–1900) and the Africa General Service Medal
with the clasp “B.C.A 1898-1899” (British Central Africa, later Nyasaland and today Malawi). In October 1899 Cobbe was appointed Second in Command of the 1st Battalion, British Central Africa Rifles, and given the local rank of Captain.
, and this developed into the final campaign of the Ashanti Wars known as the War of the Golden Stool
.
The initial thrust of the campaign was to relieve the fort at Kumasi
and this was achieved by the end of July. Cobbe was then sent out with a column of 300 men to help clear the surrounding area. In the dense bush he came across a large body of the enemy protected by stout stockades. After heavy fighting Cobbe managed to outflank the enemy and put them to flight, although himself being “severely wounded”. This did not prevent some veiled criticism from his commander concerning the delay in putting in the final attack and Cobbe did not feature among the 20 or so individuals mentioned in the despatch as being recommended for favourable notice for having “rendered good service”, although he was listed among those “having done good work”. Despite his wounds, by late September he was involved in further clearing up operations and Cobbe led his men on the left flank of a major attack. On the right was a Major Charles John Melliss
, who was to be awarded the VC in this campaign. In the next despatch Cobbe was individually mentioned “Captain (local Major) A. S. Cobbe, Indian Staff Corps. - Severely wounded 6 August. He is an Officer to be thoroughly trusted, and commanded in several fights, where he invariably did well. I hope he will be rewarded.” Cobbe was indeed rewarded as in November 1901 he was promoted to the substantive rank of Captain in the Indian Staff Corps, and made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
as well as being awarded the Ashanti Medal with clasp “Kumassi”.
) had been agitating against British rule in the Somaliland protectorate since 1899 and in 1901 a first British expedition beat him and his Dervish forces and caused him to retreat into the desert interior. However, by the end of the year the Mullah had recommenced raiding and a second expedition, including Cobbe and his men, was mounted against him. On 6 October, while marching through dense bush at Erigo, the British force was ambushed and then rushed by the Dervishes. Although the north face of the square was pierced and a Maxim gun
lost the Yao Company of the Central Africa Battalion recovered the situation. The Mullah lost some 700 men and retreated. The British force was not able to continue the pursuit, and returned to Berbera. The Maxim lost during the battle was recovered in the last campaign against the Mullah in 1920, and stands in the Malawi Army’s “Cobbe Barracks” in Zomba.
in the Indian Army
, attached to King's African Rifles during the Second Somaliland Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
It was at Erigo (or Erego) that Cobbe won his Victoria Cross
. The announcement of the award was made in the London Gazette of 20 January 1903 with the description of his act of courage as follows:
in 1903, Cobbe was commanding a Flying Column ahead of the main body moving against the Mullah. He had orders to secure the water supply at Wardair. Having established a zariba (a camp fortified with a thorn hedge) near Gumburu, he had cause to send forward a company of men under Lt Col Plunkett to secure the return of a small scouting party. The company was overwhelmed by a large Dervish force and Plunkett, all his British and Indian soldiers, and most of the native levies with him were killed. It was a major disaster. Cobbe testified that he had given Plunkett strict instructions not to engage the main body of the enemy and explicitly stated that Plunkett had disobeyed his orders. Cobbe was at the final major battle of the war, Jidballi, on 10 January 1904, but seems to have attracted no mention in despatches. The Somali campaign added two clasps to his Africa General Service Medal
: “Somaliland 1902-04” and “Jidballi”.
As a further reward for his services, in September 1904 Cobbe was “noted for consideration of the Brevet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on attaining the rank of Major” and in December 1907, immediately after having been promoted to the substantive rank of major, he was duly further promoted to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. In February of that year “Captain Alexander S. Cobbe, V.C., D.S.O., 32nd Sikh Pioneers”, had been appointed a staff captain at Head-Quarters in India, but that lasted only until February 1908, his new rank presumably deserving a more senior post. In April 1910 he was appointed a Staff Officer Grade 1 and in May 1912 he was promoted Colonel with seniority from 2 December 1911 although, when appointed an Aide-de-Camp to the King in June 1912, he is described as a Brevet Colonel. In 1911 he was awarded King George V’s Coronation Medal.
, Commander-in-Chief, The British Army in the Field, recommended Colonel Cobbe for gallant and distinguished service in the field. A similar recommendation was published in June 1915 and was soon after followed by the appointment of Cobbe as a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
. In November 1915, he was promoted from Major to Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Indian Army
. In the following month Cobbe was yet again recommended by FM French for gallant and distinguished service in the field, this time in a list which also included his brother, Lieutenant-Colonel H. H. Cobbe, D.S.O., 13th Lancers.
In February 1916 Cobbe handed over his staff job in France and in March was posted back to India as Director of Staff Duties and Military Training in Army Headquarters, while retaining his temporary rank. Following yet another mention for his good services in France, this time in a despatch from Field Marshal Douglas Haig
dated April 1916, he was promoted to Major-General in June 1916, the appointment specifically stating that it was a reward for “Distinguished Service in the Field”. Within 2 months Cobbe was promoted to temporary Lieutenant-General and in March 1917 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
By this time Cobbe was in Mesopotamia
where he would spend the rest of the war and stay until late 1919. As the commander of III Indian Corps he served under three successive C-in-Cs, Mesopotamian Field Force, all of whom mentioned him generously in their despatches to the War Office. He was present at the capture of Kut-al-Amara in February 1917 and the capture of Baghdad
the following month. Playing a notable role in the British successes at Samarrah in April and at Ramadi in September 1917, Cobbe also defeated a Turk force at Sharqat
in October 1918 (the final action on the Mesopotamian Front) before peacefully capturing Mosul in November 1918.
His service in the First World War added to Cobbe’s medal collection: the 1914 Star with clasp “5thAug-22ndNov 1914”, The British War Medal 1914-1920 and the Victory Medal 1914-1919. France appointed him a Commander, Legion of Honour, 3rd Class, and the King of Italy made him a Commander of the Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus
. In March1919 he was appointed Additional Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India
.
in 1920. Promotion to General came in March 1926 just prior to his appointment as General Officer Commanding
-in-Chief of India’s Northern Command. On his return to England he was re-appointed in June 1930 as Military Secretary to the India Office.
Honours continued to come Cobbe’s way. In 1922 he was appointed Colonel of his first regiment, The South Wales Borderers. In the New Year Honours of 1928 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and in June 1930 he was appointed ADC General to His Majesty. The following month he was appointed Colonel of the Sikh Pioneers. However, a lifetime of soldiering in severe climates and arduous conditions had had its effect and, at the age of just 61, General Sir Alexander Cobbe died on 29 June 1931. He is buried alone in the churchyard of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire.
, and his wife Alice Anita Crowther. Sir Albert was the lord of the manor of Colworth, in the parish of Sharnbrook
. It is not clear how much time Alexander Cobbe was able to spend with his wife in their 21 years of marriage, the First World War
certainly caused them to be parted for long periods, with Winifred mainly staying at Colworth. However, in 1919 a son, Alexander William Locke, known as Bill, was born. The son, Flying Officer A W L Cobbe RAFVR, died on 8 September 1940 in the Battle of Britain
.
(now the Malawi Rifles).
(Brecon
, Powys
, Wales).
|-
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Alexander Stanhope Cobbe VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
GCB
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...
KCSI
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...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(6 June 1870 – 29 June 1931) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to 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...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Early life
Alexander Stanhope Cobbe was born on 5 June 1870 in Naini Tal, Bengal Presidency, India, the son of Lt.-Gen. Sir Alexander Hugh Cobbe and Emily Barbara Cobbe, née Jones. In 1881 he was a pupil at Eagle House School, Wimbledon. He went on to Wellington CollegeWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
and then followed his elder brother Henry Hercules Cobbe to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from where he passed out in 1889. At the age of 19 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers, 10 years after that regiment had earned seven Victoria Crosses and immortal fame at the battle of Rorke's Drift
Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenant John Chard of the Royal Engineers, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of...
.
Military career
The highlights of Alexander Cobbe’s military career can be tracked by the regular records of his promotions and deeds published in the London Gazette. In March 1892 he was promoted to Lieutenant and later in the same year he was seconded to the Indian Army Staff Corps. This secondment led to his permanent transfer from the South Wales Borderers in 1894. The purpose of the Indian Staff Corps was not only to provide officers for headquarters’ staff but, far more broadly, for the native Indian regiments, the army departments and also for civil and political appointments for which Indian Army officers might be eligible. In 1903 in order to avoid confusion the designation 'Indian Staff Corps' as applied to officers on regimental duty was withdrawn and replaced by the more appropriate term 'Indian ArmyIndian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
', which is how Cobbe was referred to in all later Gazette entries. In India in 1895 Cobbe gained his first medal, the India Medal
India Medal
The India Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1896 for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies.The India Medal was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India, chiefly for service on the North-West Frontier during 1895 to 1902. This medal replaced the India General...
(1895–1902), with the clasp “Relief of Chitral
Chitral Expedition
The Chitral Expedition was a military expedition in 1895 sent by the British authorities to relieve the fort at Chitral which was under siege after a local coup.-Background to the conflict:Chitral was at the extreme north west of British India...
”. This campaign was one of the many on the Northwest Frontier
Northwest Frontier
North West Frontier is a 1959 British adventure film starring Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson from a screenplay by Robin Estridge and also features Wilfrid Hyde-White, Herbert Lom and I. S...
to quell unrest against British rule.
His next medals, however, were to be gained in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. At this time many regiments of the Indian Army were sent to Africa to support British foreign policy in the region. On this continent Cobbe was kept busy on several minor colonial campaigns gaining him the Central Africa Medal with clasp “Central Africa 1894-1898”, the East and West Africa Medal (1887–1900) and the Africa General Service Medal
Africa General Service Medal
The Africa General Service Medal 1902-1956 was a campaign medal of the Commonwealth. It was awarded for minor campaigns in tropical Africa, it was still current in 1914 and nine later clasps were issued...
with the clasp “B.C.A 1898-1899” (British Central Africa, later Nyasaland and today Malawi). In October 1899 Cobbe was appointed Second in Command of the 1st Battalion, British Central Africa Rifles, and given the local rank of Captain.
Ashanti War
By July 1900 he was commanding the Central Africa Regiment and had been given the local rank of Major. Earlier that year, a major rebellion had erupted in West Africa, in what is now GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, and this developed into the final campaign of the Ashanti Wars known as the War of the Golden Stool
War of the Golden Stool
The War of the Golden Stool, also known as the Yaa Asantewaa War, the Third Ashanti Expedition, the Ashanti Uprising, or variations thereof, was the final war in a series of conflicts between the British Imperial government of the Gold Coast and the Empire of Ashanti, a powerful, semi-autonomous...
.
The initial thrust of the campaign was to relieve the fort at Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
and this was achieved by the end of July. Cobbe was then sent out with a column of 300 men to help clear the surrounding area. In the dense bush he came across a large body of the enemy protected by stout stockades. After heavy fighting Cobbe managed to outflank the enemy and put them to flight, although himself being “severely wounded”. This did not prevent some veiled criticism from his commander concerning the delay in putting in the final attack and Cobbe did not feature among the 20 or so individuals mentioned in the despatch as being recommended for favourable notice for having “rendered good service”, although he was listed among those “having done good work”. Despite his wounds, by late September he was involved in further clearing up operations and Cobbe led his men on the left flank of a major attack. On the right was a Major Charles John Melliss
Charles John Melliss
Major General Sir Charles John Melliss VC, CB, CMG was a British military officer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Melliss was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth...
, who was to be awarded the VC in this campaign. In the next despatch Cobbe was individually mentioned “Captain (local Major) A. S. Cobbe, Indian Staff Corps. - Severely wounded 6 August. He is an Officer to be thoroughly trusted, and commanded in several fights, where he invariably did well. I hope he will be rewarded.” Cobbe was indeed rewarded as in November 1901 he was promoted to the substantive rank of Captain in the Indian Staff Corps, and made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
as well as being awarded the Ashanti Medal with clasp “Kumassi”.
Somaliland Campaign
In January 1902 Cobbe was granted the local rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Commandant of the 1st (Central Africa) Battalion, the King's African Rifles, and in this post he deployed with his men to British Somaliland to take part in the “Mad Mullah War”. The Mullah (Mohammed Abdullah HassanMohammed Abdullah Hassan
Sayyīd Muhammad `Abd Allāh al-Hasan was a Somali religious and patriotic leader...
) had been agitating against British rule in the Somaliland protectorate since 1899 and in 1901 a first British expedition beat him and his Dervish forces and caused him to retreat into the desert interior. However, by the end of the year the Mullah had recommenced raiding and a second expedition, including Cobbe and his men, was mounted against him. On 6 October, while marching through dense bush at Erigo, the British force was ambushed and then rushed by the Dervishes. Although the north face of the square was pierced and a Maxim gun
Maxim gun
The Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun, invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It has been called "the weapon most associated with [British] imperial conquest".-Functionality:...
lost the Yao Company of the Central Africa Battalion recovered the situation. The Mullah lost some 700 men and retreated. The British force was not able to continue the pursuit, and returned to Berbera. The Maxim lost during the battle was recovered in the last campaign against the Mullah in 1920, and stands in the Malawi Army’s “Cobbe Barracks” in Zomba.
Victoria Cross
He was 32 years old, and a lieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, attached to King's African Rifles during the Second Somaliland Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
It was at Erigo (or Erego) that Cobbe won his Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. The announcement of the award was made in the London Gazette of 20 January 1903 with the description of his act of courage as follows:
Further Campaigning
Still in SomalilandSomaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
in 1903, Cobbe was commanding a Flying Column ahead of the main body moving against the Mullah. He had orders to secure the water supply at Wardair. Having established a zariba (a camp fortified with a thorn hedge) near Gumburu, he had cause to send forward a company of men under Lt Col Plunkett to secure the return of a small scouting party. The company was overwhelmed by a large Dervish force and Plunkett, all his British and Indian soldiers, and most of the native levies with him were killed. It was a major disaster. Cobbe testified that he had given Plunkett strict instructions not to engage the main body of the enemy and explicitly stated that Plunkett had disobeyed his orders. Cobbe was at the final major battle of the war, Jidballi, on 10 January 1904, but seems to have attracted no mention in despatches. The Somali campaign added two clasps to his Africa General Service Medal
Africa General Service Medal
The Africa General Service Medal 1902-1956 was a campaign medal of the Commonwealth. It was awarded for minor campaigns in tropical Africa, it was still current in 1914 and nine later clasps were issued...
: “Somaliland 1902-04” and “Jidballi”.
As a further reward for his services, in September 1904 Cobbe was “noted for consideration of the Brevet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on attaining the rank of Major” and in December 1907, immediately after having been promoted to the substantive rank of major, he was duly further promoted to Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel. In February of that year “Captain Alexander S. Cobbe, V.C., D.S.O., 32nd Sikh Pioneers”, had been appointed a staff captain at Head-Quarters in India, but that lasted only until February 1908, his new rank presumably deserving a more senior post. In April 1910 he was appointed a Staff Officer Grade 1 and in May 1912 he was promoted Colonel with seniority from 2 December 1911 although, when appointed an Aide-de-Camp to the King in June 1912, he is described as a Brevet Colonel. In 1911 he was awarded King George V’s Coronation Medal.
First World War
Cobbe’s Grade I staff posting in India lasted until June 1914 and soon thereafter he was in France. Michael Jones, in his book Colworth in Context, says, “Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Cobbe VC, a career soldier, left in September 1914 to join an Indian Sikh regiment at the front line with William Eyre, one of Albert Bowen’s employees, as his personal servant”. In February 1915 Cobbe was appointed a Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General with temporary rank of Brigadier-General. In a despatch of 14 January 1915 Field Marshal John FrenchJohn French, 1st Earl of Ypres
Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, KP, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG, ADC, PC , known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, was a British and Anglo-Irish officer...
, Commander-in-Chief, The British Army in the Field, recommended Colonel Cobbe for gallant and distinguished service in the field. A similar recommendation was published in June 1915 and was soon after followed by the appointment of Cobbe as a Companion of the Most Honourable 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...
. In November 1915, he was promoted from Major to Lieutenant-Colonel in the British 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...
. In the following month Cobbe was yet again recommended by FM French for gallant and distinguished service in the field, this time in a list which also included his brother, Lieutenant-Colonel H. H. Cobbe, D.S.O., 13th Lancers.
In February 1916 Cobbe handed over his staff job in France and in March was posted back to India as Director of Staff Duties and Military Training in Army Headquarters, while retaining his temporary rank. Following yet another mention for his good services in France, this time in a despatch from Field Marshal Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I.Douglas Haig may also refer to:* Club Atlético Douglas Haig, a football club from Argentina* Douglas Haig , American actor...
dated April 1916, he was promoted to Major-General in June 1916, the appointment specifically stating that it was a reward for “Distinguished Service in the Field”. Within 2 months Cobbe was promoted to temporary Lieutenant-General and in March 1917 he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
By this time Cobbe was in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
where he would spend the rest of the war and stay until late 1919. As the commander of III Indian Corps he served under three successive C-in-Cs, Mesopotamian Field Force, all of whom mentioned him generously in their despatches to the War Office. He was present at the capture of Kut-al-Amara in February 1917 and the capture of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
the following month. Playing a notable role in the British successes at Samarrah in April and at Ramadi in September 1917, Cobbe also defeated a Turk force at Sharqat
Battle of Sharqat
The Battle of Sharqat was between the British and the Ottoman Empire in the Mesopotamian Campaign in World War I, which became the final conflict that ended as a result of the signing of armistice....
in October 1918 (the final action on the Mesopotamian Front) before peacefully capturing Mosul in November 1918.
His service in the First World War added to Cobbe’s medal collection: the 1914 Star with clasp “5thAug-22ndNov 1914”, The British War Medal 1914-1920 and the Victory Medal 1914-1919. France appointed him a Commander, Legion of Honour, 3rd Class, and the King of Italy made him a Commander of the Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
. In March1919 he was appointed Additional Knight Commander of the Most Exalted 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...
.
Later career
In June 1919 Cobbe was made a substantive Lieutenant-General, and he was appointed Military Secretary to the India OfficeMilitary Secretary to the India Office
The Military Secretary to the India Office was responsible for the recruitment of British and other European nationals to the officer ranks of the Indian Army.-Military Secretaries to the India Office:The Military Secretaries were as follows:...
in 1920. Promotion to General came in March 1926 just prior to his appointment as 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...
-in-Chief of India’s Northern Command. On his return to England he was re-appointed in June 1930 as Military Secretary to the India Office.
Honours continued to come Cobbe’s way. In 1922 he was appointed Colonel of his first regiment, The South Wales Borderers. In the New Year Honours of 1928 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and in June 1930 he was appointed ADC General to His Majesty. The following month he was appointed Colonel of the Sikh Pioneers. However, a lifetime of soldiering in severe climates and arduous conditions had had its effect and, at the age of just 61, General Sir Alexander Cobbe died on 29 June 1931. He is buried alone in the churchyard of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire.
Family life
On 1 October 1910 the forty year old Cobbe married the 23 year old Winifred Ada Bowen, daughter of Sir Albert Edward Bowen, 1st BaronetSir Albert Bowen, 1st Baronet
Sir Albert Edward Bowen, 1st Baronet was an English businessman who spent much of his life in Argentina.Bowen was born in Hanley, Staffordshire. His family emigrated to Canada when he was a boy and he was educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto...
, and his wife Alice Anita Crowther. Sir Albert was the lord of the manor of Colworth, in the parish of Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook
Sharnbrook is a village and civil parish located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The settlement was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a parish within the Hundred of Willey but was probably first developed in Saxon times. The oldest surviving building, St Peter's Church, is...
. It is not clear how much time Alexander Cobbe was able to spend with his wife in their 21 years of marriage, the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
certainly caused them to be parted for long periods, with Winifred mainly staying at Colworth. However, in 1919 a son, Alexander William Locke, known as Bill, was born. The son, Flying Officer A W L Cobbe RAFVR, died on 8 September 1940 in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
Legacy
The headquarters of the Malawi army are named the "Cobbe Barracks" in his honour. They are located at Zomba, the former capital, and are home to what were the King's African RiflesKing's African Rifles
The King's African Rifles was a multi-battalion British colonial regiment raised from the various British possessions in East Africa from 1902 until independence in the 1960s. It performed both military and internal security functions within the East African colonies as well as external service as...
(now the Malawi Rifles).
The medal
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the South Wales Borderers MuseumSouth Wales Borderers Museum
The South Wales Borderers Museum is located at Brecon in Wales and is the regimental museum of the 24th Regiment of Foot. The museum's collection is made up of artefacts collected from a variety of sources from around the world and which display the regiment's 300 year history.-The collection:The...
(Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales).
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Bedfordshire)
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