Sir

Thomas Riddell-Webster
Born(1886-02-12)12 February 1886
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Died25 May 1974(1974-05-25) (aged 88)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1905–1946
RankGeneral
Service number1505
UnitCameronians
Commands held
Battles/wars
Awards
RelationsAlexander Sprot (father-in-law)

General Sir Thomas Sheridan Riddell-Webster GCB DSO DL (12 February 1886 – 25 May 1974) was Quartermaster-General to the Forces during the Second World War.

Early life

Thomas Sheridan Riddell-Webster was born in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland on 12 February 1886.[1] He was educated at Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Riddell-Webster was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) on 16 August 1905.[2] He was promoted to lieutenant on 30 September 1909 and captain on 24 October 1913.[3][4]

First World War

Riddell-Webster served in the First World War, initially as a staff captain (appointed 3 November 1914[5]) then as a deputy assistant adjutant and quartermaster general (DAA&QMG) in France (17 July 1915[6]). He was brevetted to major on 1 January 1916.[7] On 9 July 1917, he was appointed an assistant adjutant and quartermaster general (AA&QMG), with the temporary rank of lieutenant-colonel.[8]

Between the wars

After the war, Riddell-Webster relinquished his temporary rank of lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1919.[9] He was promoted to the substantive rank of major and the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel on 3 June 1919.[10] He married Harriet Hill Sprot, the daughter of Sir Alexander Sprot, on 28 February 1920.[11] He became a Brigade Major with Irish Command on 21 July 1921.[12] He was appointed Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at the Staff College in 1922, and was brevetted to lieutenant-colonel on 12 March 1923.[13]

After attending the Staff College, Camberley, from 1924 to 1925, he was appointed as a General Staff Officer at Scottish Command in 1926. He attended the Imperial Defence College in 1929. In 1930 he was made Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, Cameronians,[14] and promoted to substantive lieutenant-colonel on 16 December of that year.[15] He was promoted to colonel on 27 June 1933, became Assistant Quartermaster General at the War Office that year, and Commander of the Poona (Independent) Brigade Area in 1935.[16]

Second World War

Riddell-Webster was promoted to major-general on 1 April 1938, becoming the Director of Movements and Quartering at the War Office.[17] He served in the Second World War, initially as Deputy Quartermaster General at the War Office (from 29 August 1939[18]) and then as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command, India in 1941.[14] He received the local rank of lieutenant-general on 7 January 1941, and was promoted to the substantive rank on 15 April.[19][20] He became the Chief Administrative Officer in the Middle East Command in 1941,[14] for which he was mentioned in despatches.[21] He was promoted to general on 1 November 1942.[22]

Riddell-Webster became Quartermaster-General to the Forces on 6 February 1943.[23] With his American counterpart, Lieutenant General Brehon B. Somervell, he co-authored a proposal to establish a ground supply route to China from Assam through Burma.[24] He was promoted to full general on 1 November 1942.[25] He also extended the use of collars and ties to the uniforms of other ranks.[26] He retired with the rank of general on 27 April 1946 after nearly 41 years of service.[27]

In 1946 he was given the colonelcy of the Cameronians, a position he held until 1951.[28] He became a deputy lieutenant for Angus, Scotland, on 14 August 1946,[29] and was president of the British Legion (Scotland) from 1949 to 1965.[14] He died on 25 May 1974.[30][31]

Honours

Riddell-Webster was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 18 February 1915.[32] On 12 September 1918, he was decorated as an Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy.[33] He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre on 19 June 1919.[34] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, Military Division (CB) in the 1939 Birthday Honours, knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1942 New Year Honours and promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1946 New Year Honours.[35][36][37] He was decorated as a Commander of the US Legion of Merit on 14 May 1948.[38]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Life story: Thomas Sheridan Riddell-Webster | Lives of the First World War". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  2. ↑ "No. 27827". The London Gazette. 15 August 1905. p. 5621.
  3. ↑ "No. 28303". The London Gazette. 2 November 1909. p. 8015.
  4. ↑ "No. 28790". The London Gazette. 6 January 1914. p. 185.
  5. ↑ "No. 28981". The London Gazette. 20 November 1914. p. 9541.
  6. ↑ "No. 29267". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 August 1915. p. 8245.
  7. ↑ "No. 29438". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 January 1916. p. 570.
  8. ↑ "No. 30235". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 August 1917. p. 8436.
  9. ↑ "No. 31530". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 August 1919. p. 10978.
  10. ↑ "No. 31370". The London Gazette. 30 May 1919. p. 6815.
  11. ↑ "Life story: Harriet Hill Sprot". Lives of the First World War. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "No. 32435". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1921. p. 6749.
  13. ↑ "No. 32815". The London Gazette. 17 April 1923. p. 2814.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Smart 2005, p. 271.
  15. ↑ "No. 33670". The London Gazette. 16 December 1930. p. 8078.
  16. ↑ "No. 33955". The London Gazette. 30 June 1933. p. 4382.
  17. ↑ "No. 34498". The London Gazette. 1 April 1938. p. 2153.
  18. ↑ "No. 34701". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 October 1939. p. 6711.
  19. ↑ "No. 35038". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 1941. p. 189.
  20. ↑ "No. 35163". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 May 1941. p. 2783.
  21. ↑ "No. 36065". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 22 June 1943. p. 2853.
  22. ↑ "No. 35767". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 30 October 1942. p. 4747.
  23. ↑ "No. 35925". The London Gazette. 2 March 1943. p. 1037.
  24. ↑ Millett 1954, p. 71.
  25. ↑ "No. 35767". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 October 1942. p. 4747.
  26. ↑ Crang 2000, p. 61.
  27. ↑ "No. 37544". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 April 1946. p. 2035.
  28. ↑ "The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  29. ↑ "No. 16363". The Edinburgh Gazette. 27 August 1946. p. 335.
  30. ↑ "Riddell-Webster, Thomas Sheridan". Generals.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "Riddell-Webster, Thomas Sheridan". Unit Histories. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "No. 29074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1915. p. 1693.
  33. ↑ "No. 30895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 September 1918. p. 10745.
  34. ↑ "No. 31409". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1919. p. 7805.
  35. ↑ "No. 34633". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1939. p. 3854.
  36. ↑ "No. 35399". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1941. p. 3.
  37. ↑ "No. 27407". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 5.
  38. ↑ "No. 38288". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1948. p. 2917.

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