Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Henry Maurice Chambers, (15 July 1897 – 1967) was a

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...

officer of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Military career

Chambers received a temporary commission in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

as a second lieutenant on 26 September 1914 to the

Royal Munster Fusiliers The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1922. It traced its origins to the East India Company, East India Company's Bengal European Regiment raised in 1652, which later became the 101st Regiment ...

. He served at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and on 3 December 1917 he was commissioned a lieutenant into the

117th Mahrattas The 117th Mahrattas were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment traces their origins to 1800, when they were raised as the Bombay Fencible Regiment. During World War I the regiment was attached to the 6th (Poona) Division ...

of the

. Chambers was promoted to the rank of captain in June 1919. From 1924 to 1925 he attended the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which i ...

, and between the wars he served in India as a

staff officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

and became a lieutenant colonel in September 1939. The War in the Far East- the Burma Campaign 1941-1945 SE4114

In 1942 Chambers became acting commander of the

64th Indian Infantry Brigade The 64th Indian Infantry Brigade was an Infantry formation of the Indian Army during World War II. It was formed in February 1942, at Babina in India and assigned to the 23rd Indian Infantry Division. The brigade was transferred in March 1942, t ...

, before serving as a brigadier on the General Staff until 1944. He then became commander of the

71st Indian Infantry Brigade The 71st Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the Indian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in March 1942, at Nowshera in India. The brigade was assigned to the 26th Indian Infantry Division on formation. The ...

, serving with the brigade during the Burma Campaign. In early 1945 he was made Acting General Officer Commanding of the

26th Indian Infantry Division The 26th Indian Infantry Division, was an infantry division of the Indian Army during World War II. It fought in the Burma Campaign. History When the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, the various units in training or stationed around Barrackpur n ...

, before taking permanent command of the division later in the year, serving in Burma and Sumatra. Chambers was twice

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

for his actions during the war in the Far East, and in January 1946 he was invested as a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. He retired from the army as a major-general in 1948.

Family

In 1920 Chambers married Aileen Geraldine Olga Allison, with whom he had two sons. They divorced in 1947. He married again in 1954 to Sybil Ismay Siddons. He retired to South Africa.Kelly's Handbook 1967

References

External links

Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Henry 1897 births 1967 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British Indian Army generals Royal Munster Fusiliers officers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Indian Army generals of World War II Military personnel of British India Indian Army personnel of World War I Military personnel from Belfast