Thomas Corbett

Lieutenant General Thomas William Corbett, (2 June 1888 – 30 December 1981) was a British Indian Army officer who commanded the IV Corps during the Second World War.

Early life and military career Thomas Corbett was, through his father, also named Thomas, a nephew of the hunter Jim Corbett. Corbett attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned onto the Unattached List for the British Indian Army on 19 January 1907. Posted to India, he was attached to the 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on 15 March 1907 for a year. He was admitted to the Indian Army 15 March 1908 and joined 9th Hodson's Horse.

Following the outbreak of World War I, Corbett landed in France on 7 November 1914 and was wounded on 21 December. He became staff captain of the 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade on 4 April 1916, brigade major for the 1st Cavalry Brigade on 8 June 1917,

Corbett was also mentioned in dispatches twice. He went on to be brigade major for the 160th Brigade, Egyptian Expeditionary Force on 2 August 1918.

Corbett attended Staff College, Quetta in 1921–22 and was appointed a general staff officer grade 2 on the General Staff, Southern Command, India from 15 February 1922 until 28 August 1925. He was again appointed a general staff officer grade 2 as staff officer to Major-General Cavalry from 26 September 1925 to 4 December 1926. He was subsequently appointed to the post of assistant adjutant and quartermaster general from 8 April 1935 to 5 September 1935.

Second World War Corbett served in the Second World War as a brigadier responsible for the cavalry at Army Headquarters, India and then as Inspector of Cavalry Army Headquarters India from 29 January 1940 to 31 August 1940, He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1941. He went on to be commander of IV Corps from January to March 1942 in Iraq, before being appointed chief of staff in the Middle East later that year. The reason for his sudden removal from his division was, apparently, a security lapse which "brought down on his head the wrath of Higher Command."

By October 1945 Corbett had been re-employed as head of the Combined Inter Services Historical Section (India) while on the Indian Regular Reserve of Officers.

Postwar years After retiring from the army Corbett, listing his recreation as painting, eventually settled in Sussex and remarried in 1952 after the death of his first wife. How he spent the remaining years of his long life is not known although The Times described him as a "brave, modest and kindly man."