Arthur Patterson
Encyclopedia
Major-General Arthur Gordon Patterson CB
DSO
OBE
MC
is a former British Army
officer who commanded 17th Gurkha Division
.
in 1938. He served in World War II
with the 6th Gurkha Rifles
being awarded the Military Cross
for his exploits in Burma in May 1945. In 1951 he was deployed to Malaya
at the height of the Malayan Emergency
for which he was appointed MBE
. He was later given command of a battalion of his Regiment and appointed OBE for further service in Malaya. In 1964, as a temporary Brigadier
during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, he took part in the response to the Brunei Revolt
rounding up escaped rebel leaders in the swamps and jungles over a wide area of North Borneo
for which he was awarded the DSO
. He was appointed General Officer Commanding
17th Gurkha Division
in December 1965 and Director of Military Training in June 1969 before retiring in 1972.
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...
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...
OBE
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...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
is a former British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded 17th Gurkha Division
17th Gurkha Division
The 17th Gurkha Division was a British military formation that saw active service during Malayan Emergency.-History:The Division was formed in 1952 in response to the Malayan Emergency. It pepetuated the traditions of the former 17th Indian Infantry Division which had used a Black Cat as its emblem...
.
Military career
Patterson was commissioned into the 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...
in 1938. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the 6th Gurkha Rifles
6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles
The 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles was a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence. Originally raised in 1817 as part of the army of the British East India Company, the regiment has been known by a number of names...
being awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his exploits in Burma in May 1945. In 1951 he was deployed to Malaya
Malaya
-Geographic/former political entities:* The Malay Peninsula* Malay Archipelago, the broader macroregion.-Malaya including Singapore:* British Malaya , a loose collection of British-controlled states...
at the height of the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
for which he was appointed MBE
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...
. He was later given command of a battalion of his Regiment and appointed OBE for further service in Malaya. In 1964, as a temporary Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, he took part in the response to the Brunei Revolt
Brunei Revolt
The Brunei Rebellion broke out on 8 December 1962. The rebels began co-ordinated attacks on the oil town of Seria and on police stations and government facilities around the protectorate...
rounding up escaped rebel leaders in the swamps and jungles over a wide area of North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
for which he was awarded the 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...
. He was appointed 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...
17th Gurkha Division
17th Gurkha Division
The 17th Gurkha Division was a British military formation that saw active service during Malayan Emergency.-History:The Division was formed in 1952 in response to the Malayan Emergency. It pepetuated the traditions of the former 17th Indian Infantry Division which had used a Black Cat as its emblem...
in December 1965 and Director of Military Training in June 1969 before retiring in 1972.