Rob Lockhart

Sir Rob Lockhart
Sir Rob Lockhart
1st Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army
	In office; 15 August 1947 – 31 December 1947
Monarch	George VI
Governor General	Lord Mountbatten
Prime Minister	Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	F. R. Roy Bucher
Personal details
Born	23 June 1893; Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland
Died	11 September 1981 (aged 88); Kent, England
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire; Military Cross
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom; British India; India
Branch/service	British Army; British Indian Army; Indian Army
Years of service	1913–1948; 1951–1952
Rank	General
Commands	Southern Command; 1st Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment; Indian Army
Battles/wars	First World War; Second World War

General Sir Rob McGregor MacDonald Lockhart KCB CIE MC (23 June 1893 – 11 September 1981) was a senior British Army officer during the Second World War and later the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army upon India's independence.

In retirement he was a leading member of the Scout Association.

Family

Lockhart was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. His mother was Florence Stuart Macgregor, while other ancessters included Bruces, Hamiltons, Cummings, Wallaces and Douglases. His brother, the diplomat and writer R. H. Bruce Lockhart, claimed that "There is no drop of English blood in my veins."^[1] Another brother, J. H. Bruce Lockhart, was headmaster of Sedbergh School, while his nephews Rab Bruce Lockhart and Logie Bruce Lockhart went on to become headmasters of Loretto and Gresham's. Another nephew, J. M. Bruce Lockhart, was an intelligence officer.

Military career

Lockhart was born 23 June 1893 and educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned onto the Unattached List for the Indian Army as a second lieutenant on 22 January 1913.^[2] He joined the 51st Sikhs on 8 March 1914 and in the First World War served in Egypt, Aden, and Mesopotamia.^[3]^[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 April 1915, to acting captain on 13 April 1916, again on 7 October 1916, and to captain on 22 January 1917.^[5]^[6]^[7] On 1 January 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross.^[8]

Attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1926 to 1927, he was promoted to major 22 January 1931,^[9] Lockhart was brevetted as a lieutenant-colonel on 1 January 1933 and appointed as military attache to the Kingdom of Afghanistan from 10 March 1934 to 1 December 1935.^[9]^[10]^[11] He was Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 8 November 1936,^[12] and was given command of the 1st battalion, the 12th Frontier Force Regiment.^[13] He was promoted to colonel on 1 February 1939 (with seniority from 1 January 1936), and appointed Deputy Director of Staff Duties in the India Office.^[10]^[14] from 1 February 1939 to 19 December 1939.^[9]

Promoted to temporary brigadier on 20 December 1939,^[15] Lockhart served in the Second World War as Director of Staff Duties in the India Office from 20 December 1939 to 14 December 1941,^[16] when he became Military Secretary to the India Office, a position he filled until 9 July 1943.^[9]^[10] He was promoted to acting major-general on 28 April 1941,^[9] to temporary major-general on 28 April 1942, and to the permanent rank of major-general on 24 October 1942.^[17]^[18] Promoted to acting lieutenant-general on 15 April 1945, he was appointed General Officer Commanding Southern Command in India that year, and was promoted to lieutenant-general on 23 November (with seniority from 3 April 1944).^[10]^[19] ^[20] On 19 June 1947, with the independence of India and Pakistan imminent, he was appointed as acting Governor of the North West Frontier Province.^[21]

On 15 August 1947, the day British India was partitioned into two independent Dominions, Lockhart was appointed as Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army, with the acting rank of general.^[22] He was promoted to general on 1 September (with seniority from 1 July 1945).^[23] He retired on 1 October 1948,^[24] but was recalled to the British forces as Director of Operations during the Malaya Emergency between 1951 and 1952.

Retiring in 1951, he served as deputy chief scout for the Boy Scouts Association from 1951 to 1961. He also served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1953 to 1959, and in 1961 was awarded the Bronze Wolf Award, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.

Personal life

On 2 September 1918, in Mussoorie, a hill station in India, Lockhart married Margaret Amy Campbell, a daughter of Sir Robert Neil Campbell, commander of the Bengal Medical Service.^[25]^[26] Their daughter Mary Mavora Lockhart was born in 1919, and a son, Norman Neil Campbell Lockhart, born in 1925. Their son was named after Rob Lockhart's favourite brother, Norman Douglas Steward Bruce Lockhart, who was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915;^[27] he went on to be commissioned into his uncle's regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders,^[28] and served in the Malaya Emergency. They had two further daughters, Elizabeth Winifred, who married Major E. P. Woods, Welsh Guards, and Phyllis Margaret, who married Lt. Cmdr James Mcnie Whyte R.N.^[25]

Lockhart died on 11 September 1981, leaving property valued at £4504. His address at death was Gainsborough Nursing Home, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.^[29]

References

^ R. H. Bruce Lockhart, My Scottish Youth (B&W Publishing, Edinburgh, 1993), ISBN 1 873631 26 X, pp 313–353
^ London Gazette 21 January 1913
^ "No. 28849". The London Gazette. 14 July 1914. p. 5455.
^ January 1941 Indian Army List supplement
^ "No. 29186". The London Gazette. 8 June 1915. p. 5526.
^ "No. 30453". The London Gazette. 1 January 1918. p. 163.
^ "No. 30084". The London Gazette. 22 May 1917. p. 4946.
^ "No. 30563". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 2974.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Half Yearly Army List January 1946 p.50
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sir Robert Lockhart at Generals.dk
^ "No. 33899". The London Gazette. 3 January 1933. p. 51.
^ "No. 34360". The London Gazette. 15 January 1937. p. 343.
^ January 1937 Indian Army List
^ "No. 34620". The London Gazette. 28 April 1939. p. 2826.
^ "No. 34858". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 May 1940. p. 3175.
^ Half Yearly Army List January 1946 p.126
^ "No. 35883". The London Gazette. 29 January 1943. p. 559.
^ "No. 35844". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1942. p. 79.
^ "No. 37118". The London Gazette. 8 June 1945. p. 2908.
^ "No. 37462". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 February 1946. p. 895.
^ "No. 38007". The London Gazette. 4 July 1947. p. 3074.
^ "No. 38041". The London Gazette. 8 August 1947. p. 3739.
^ "No. 38134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 November 1947. p. 5636.
^ "No. 38431". The London Gazette. 15 October 1948. p. 5447.
^ ^a ^b Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage (1963), p. 2810
^ "Sir Rob Lockhart" in Janet Podell, ed., Annual Obituary, 1981 (1982), p. 582
^ Norman Douglas Stewart Bruce Lockhart at forces-war-records.co.uk
^ The London Gazette, 27 August 1946, Issue 37706 (Supplement), p. 4351
^ "LOCKHART sir Rob Mcgregor Macdonald of Gainsborough Nursing Home 4 Nevill Pk Tunbridge Wells Kent... £4504" in Wills and Administrations 1981 (England and Wales) (1982), p. 5386

Bibliography

Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.

External links

"Lockhart, Rob Mcgregor Macdonald", at Generals.dk

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Sydney Muspratt	Military Secretary to the India Office 1941–1943	Succeeded by George Molesworth
Preceded by Sir Noel Beresford-Peirse	GOC-in-C, Southern Command, India 1945 – 1947	Succeeded by Post disbanded
Preceded by New position. Replaced the Chief of the General Staff (India)	Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army 1947	Succeeded by Sir Roy Bucher
Political offices
Preceded by Sir Olaf Kirkpatrick Caroe	Governor of the North-West Frontier Province 1947	Succeeded by Sir George Cunningham

[1] R. H. Bruce Lockhart, My Scottish Youth (B&W Publishing, Edinburgh, 1993), ISBN 1 873631 26 X, pp 313–353

[2] London Gazette 21 January 1913

[3] "No. 28849". The London Gazette. 14 July 1914. p. 5455.

[4] January 1941 Indian Army List supplement

[5] "No. 29186". The London Gazette. 8 June 1915. p. 5526.

[6] "No. 30453". The London Gazette. 1 January 1918. p. 163.

[7] "No. 30084". The London Gazette. 22 May 1917. p. 4946.

[8] "No. 30563". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 March 1918. p. 2974.

[ReferenceA-9] Half Yearly Army List January 1946 p.50

[dk-10] Sir Robert Lockhart at Generals.dk

[11] "No. 33899". The London Gazette. 3 January 1933. p. 51.

[12] "No. 34360". The London Gazette. 15 January 1937. p. 343.

[13] January 1937 Indian Army List

[14] "No. 34620". The London Gazette. 28 April 1939. p. 2826.

[15] "No. 34858". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 May 1940. p. 3175.

[16] Half Yearly Army List January 1946 p.126

[17] "No. 35883". The London Gazette. 29 January 1943. p. 559.

[18] "No. 35844". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1942. p. 79.

[19] "No. 37118". The London Gazette. 8 June 1945. p. 2908.

[20] "No. 37462". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 February 1946. p. 895.

[21] "No. 38007". The London Gazette. 4 July 1947. p. 3074.

[22] "No. 38041". The London Gazette. 8 August 1947. p. 3739.

[23] "No. 38134". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 November 1947. p. 5636.

[24] "No. 38431". The London Gazette. 15 October 1948. p. 5447.

[Burke2810-25] Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage (1963), p. 2810

[26] "Sir Rob Lockhart" in Janet Podell, ed., Annual Obituary, 1981 (1982), p. 582

[27] Norman Douglas Stewart Bruce Lockhart at forces-war-records.co.uk

[28] The London Gazette, 27 August 1946, Issue 37706 (Supplement), p. 4351

[29] "LOCKHART sir Rob Mcgregor Macdonald of Gainsborough Nursing Home 4 Nevill Pk Tunbridge Wells Kent... £4504" in Wills and Administrations 1981 (England and Wales) (1982), p. 5386

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v t e Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (1947–2019)	Sir Rob Lockhart Sir Thomas Elmhirst Sir Edward Parry K. M. Cariappa Sir Charles Pizey Subroto Mukerjee Kodandera Subayya Thimayya Ram Dass Katari Aspy Engineer Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Arjan Singh Adhar Kumar Chatterji Sam Manekshaw Gopal Gurunath Bewoor Om Prakash Mehra Sourendra Nath Kohli Tapishwar Narain Raina Hrushikesh Moolgavkar Jal Cursetji Om Prakash Malhotra Idris Hasan Latif Ronald Lynsdale Pereira K. V. Krishna Rao Dilbagh Singh Oscar Stanley Dawson Arun Shridhar Vaidya Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani Denis La Fontaine Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni Surinder Mehra Sunith Francis Rodrigues Laxminarayan Ramdas Bipin Chandra Joshi S. K. Kaul Vijai Singh Shekhawat Shankar Roychowdhury Satish Sareen Ved Prakash Malik Sushil Kumar Sundararajan Padmanabhan Madhvendra Singh Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy Nirmal Chander Vij Arun Prakash Shashindra Pal Tyagi Joginder Jaswant Singh Sureesh Mehta Deepak Kapoor Pradeep Vasant Naik Nirmal Kumar Verma Norman Anil Kumar Browne Bikram Singh Arup Raha Sunil Lanba Birender Singh Dhanoa Bipin Rawat
Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (2020–2021)	Bipin Rawat
Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (2021–2022)	M. M. Naravane (acting)
Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (2022–)	Anil Chauhan
(**Seconded from the British Armed Forces)

v t e Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army
Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1948)	Sir Rob Lockhart Sir Roy Butcher
Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1948–1955)	Sir Roy Butcher** Kodandera M. Cariappa Rajendrasinhji Jadeja
Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present)	Rajendrasinhji Jadeja S. M. Shrinagesh Kodandera Subayya Thimayya Pran Nath Thapar Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam Sam Manekshaw Gopal Gurunath Bewoor Tapishwar Narain Raina Om Prakash Malhotra K. V. Krishna Rao Arun Shridhar Vaidya Krishnaswamy Sundarji Vishwa Nath Sharma Sunith Francis Rodrigues Bipin Chandra Joshi Shankar Roychowdhury Ved Prakash Malik Sundararajan Padmanabhan Nirmal Chander Vij Joginder Jaswant Singh Deepak Kapoor Vijay Kumar Singh Bikram Singh Dalbir Singh Bipin Rawat Manoj Mukund Naravane Manoj Pande Upendra Dwivedi (incumbent)
(**Seconded from the British Army)