Major General William Cross Barratt (2 June 1862 – 2 April 1940) was a senior British Army and

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.

Biography

Born in Calcutta, Barratt was educated at

Bedford School :''Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Girls' School, Bedford High School, Bedford Modern School, Old Bedford School in Bedford, Texas or Bedford Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia.'' Bedford School is a public school (English indep ...

. He received his first commission in the Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1883. He served in

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

during the

Suakin Expedition The Suakin Expedition was either of two British military expeditions, led by Major-General Sir Gerald Graham V.C., to Suakin in Sudan, with the intention of destroying the power of the Sudanese military commander Osman Digna and his troops during ...

of 1885, and fought at the Battle of Hasheen and at the

Battle of Tofrek The Battle of Tofrek was fought on 22 March 1885 some 5 miles inland from the port of Suakin on the Red Sea coast of Sudan. A contingent of some 3000 troops from the British and Indian "Suakin Field Force" led by Major General Sir John Carstair ...

. In 1890 he took part in the

Zhob Valley Expedition Zhob (; ) or Zhobak (), formerly known as Appozai or Fort Sandeman, is a city and district capital of Zhob District in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Zhob is located on the banks of Zhob River 337 km from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. ...

in India, and fought in Waziristan between 1894 and 1895. He served in

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

in 1896, in Zanzibar and Uganda between 1897 and 1898, in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

during the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

between 1900 and 1901, and was present at the Relief of Peking. He subsequently served on the North West Frontier in India. He was appointed as General Officer Commanding the

9th (Secunderabad) Division The 9th (Secunderabad) Division was an infantry division formation of the British Indian Army. It was part of the Southern Army and was formed in 1904 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909. He i ...

and as General Officer Commanding the

16th Indian Division The 16th Indian Division was an infantry division of the Indian Army during the First World War. It was formed in December 1916, during the First World War. It was the only war formed division of the British Indian Army that was not sent overseas ...

. Major General William Cross Barratt retired from the

in 1920. He died on 2 April 1940.Obituary, ''The Ousel'', Vol.XLIV, No.712, 23 October 1940, p. 130

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barratt, William Cross 1862 births 1940 deaths People educated at Bedford School Royal Berkshire Regiment officers Indian Army generals of World War I Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Military personnel of British India British Indian Army generals British military personnel in colonial India