Jim Robertson (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Major-General James ('Jim') Alexander Rowland Robertson CB
CBE
DSO
& bar
(23 March 1910 – 11 February 2004) was a British Army
officer who commanded 17th Gurkha Division
.
and the Royal Military College Sandhurst
, Robertson was commissioned into the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
in 1930 and transferred into the 6th Gurkha Rifles
on the North-West Frontier
in 1931. He served in World War II
as Brigade Major for 1st (Maymyo) Brigade
and then as Brigade Major for 106th Indian Infantry Brigade
before becoming Commanding Officer
of 1st Battalion 7th Gurkha Rifles
in Burma in February 1944. In May 1944 his leadership was such that the battalion defended its position under constant fire on the Tiddim
-Imphal
road and inflicted heavy casualties on the Japan
ese. He became Commander of 48th Indian Infantry Brigade
in 1945 and took the surrender of the Japanese forces at Moulmein
in South Burma later that year.
After a tour as an Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta
, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion 6th Gurkha Rifles in 1947 and Brigadier on the General Staff at Malaya Command
in 1948 in which roles he saw service during the Malayan Emergency
. He undertook staff duties at the War Office
in the UK from 1950 at at Headquarters I (British) Corps in Germany
from 1952. He became Commander of 51st Infantry Brigade in the Middle East
in 1955 and Commander Land Forces Persian Gulf in 1957 leading the units which re-took Nizwa
from the Omani rebels. He went on to be General Officer Commanding
17th Gurkha Division
and Major General commanding the Brigade of Gurkhas
in 1958 and General Officer Commanding Land Forces at Middle East Command
in 1961. His last appointment was as Gurkha Liaison Officer at the War Office in 1963 before retiring in 1964.
In retirement he became Director of Personnel for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
.
shortly after their marriage. In 1973 he married Joan Wills (née Abercromby).
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...
CBE
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...
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...
& bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(23 March 1910 – 11 February 2004) was a 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
Educated at Epsom CollegeEpsom College
Epsom College is an independent co-educational public school in Epsom, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 13 to 18. Founded in 1853 to provide support for poor members of the medical profession such as pensioners and orphans , Epsom's long-standing association with medicine was estimated in 1980 as...
and the Royal Military College Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Robertson was commissioned into the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
in 1930 and transferred into 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...
on the North-West Frontier
North-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...
in 1931. 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...
as Brigade Major for 1st (Maymyo) Brigade
1st Burma Infantry Brigade
The 1st Burma Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the British Burma Army during World War II. It was formed in July 1941, when it was converted from the Maymyo Infantry Brigade Area and assigned to the 1st Burma Infantry Division...
and then as Brigade Major for 106th Indian Infantry Brigade
2nd Burma Infantry Brigade
The 2nd Burma Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Burma Army during World War II. It was formed in July 1941. The Brigade was then disbanded in June 1942, and reformed in October 1942, to command battalions of the newly formed Burma Regiment. It was disbanded once again in November 1943...
before becoming Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of 1st Battalion 7th Gurkha Rifles
7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles
The 7th Gurkha Rifles started as a regiment of the British Indian Army, before being transferred to the British Army following India's independence.-Formation:...
in Burma in February 1944. In May 1944 his leadership was such that the battalion defended its position under constant fire on the Tiddim
Tedim
Tedim is a town in Chin State in the northwestern part of Myanmar. The name "Tedim" was derived from a pool on the top of the hills that used to be twinkling under sun's light, therefore, called "te " and "dim " in local Paite dialect.-Early history:As a result of lack of a formal writing system...
-Imphal
Imphal
Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr....
road and inflicted heavy casualties on 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. He became Commander of 48th Indian Infantry Brigade
48th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 48th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in October 1941, at Secunderabad in India and assigned to the 19th Indian Infantry Division....
in 1945 and took the surrender of the Japanese forces at Moulmein
Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine is the fourth largest city of Burma , situated 300 km south east of Yangon and 70 km south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin river...
in South Burma later that year.
After a tour as an Instructor at the Staff College, Quetta
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion 6th Gurkha Rifles in 1947 and Brigadier on the General Staff at Malaya Command
Malaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
in 1948 in which roles he saw service during 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....
. He undertook staff duties at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in the UK from 1950 at at Headquarters I (British) Corps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from 1952. He became Commander of 51st Infantry Brigade in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in 1955 and Commander Land Forces Persian Gulf in 1957 leading the units which re-took Nizwa
Nizwa
-Attractions:The main tourist attractions in the city are Nizwa Fort, the traditional Souq and Falaj Daris. In the 1990s, the Jama, the fort and the souq which sit next to each other in the centre were renovated using the same traditional materials...
from the Omani rebels. He went on to be 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...
and Major General commanding the Brigade of Gurkhas
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
in 1958 and General Officer Commanding Land Forces at Middle East Command
British Forces Aden
British Forces Aden was the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the Aden Protectorate during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggression.-History:...
in 1961. His last appointment was as Gurkha Liaison Officer at the War Office in 1963 before retiring in 1964.
In retirement he became Director of Personnel for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes is an organisation created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families...
.
Family
In 1949 he married Ann Tosswill who died of polioPoliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
shortly after their marriage. In 1973 he married Joan Wills (née Abercromby).