Thomas Riddell-Webster

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Sir Thomas Riddell-Webster
Born(1886-02-12)12 February 1886
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Died25 May 1974(1974-05-25) (aged 88)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1905–1946
RankGeneral
Service number1505
UnitCameronians
Commands heldSouthern Command, India
Poona (Independent) Brigade Area
2nd Battalion, Cameronians
Battles/wars
Awards
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)
RelationsAlexander Sprot (father-in-law)

DL (12 February 1886 – 25 May 1974) was a British Army officer who served as 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, and 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 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, 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.

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

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

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 Riddell-Webster was given the colonelcy of the Cameronians, a position he held until 1951.

British Legion (Scotland) from 1949 to 1965.[14] He died on 25 May 1974.[30][31]

Honours

Riddell-Webster was awarded the

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 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. ^ a b c d 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.

References

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Military offices
Preceded by GOC-in-C, Southern Command, India
March–October 1941 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Quartermaster-General to the Forces
1942–1946 		Succeeded by
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