Mosley Mayne

Mosley Mayne
Born	1889
Died	1955 (aged 65 or 66)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Indian Army
Years of service	1908–1947
Rank	General
Commands held	Royal Deccan Horse 9th Indian Infantry Brigade 5th Indian Division Indian XXI Corps Eastern Command, India
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order

General Sir Ashton Gerard Oswald Mosley Mayne GCB, CBE, DSO (1889–1955) was a British Indian Army officer in both World War I and World War II.

Early career

He was commissioned into the British Indian Army in 1908^[1] serving with the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse) and the 9th Royal Deccan Horse. He was awarded his DSO for service in World War I. He was Commanding Officer of the Royal Deccan Horse from 1934 to 1936.^[1] In 1938 he was promoted Brigadier to command 9th Indian Infantry Brigade.^[1]

World War II

From September 1940, the 9th Brigade fought in the East African Campaign as part of Indian 5th Infantry Division where in battles at Agordat and Keren they saw fighting said by commentators to be as fierce as any seen during the war.

In April 1941, Mayne was promoted to command 5th Indian Division.^[1] As a newly promoted Major-General, he succeeded Lewis Heath who had been posted to command Indian III Corps in Malaya. Under Mayne's command the major fighting was concluded by 5th Division and took the Italian Commander-in-Chief's surrender.

At the end of June 1941, 5th Indian Division left East Africa. During the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran it was in Kirkuk in Iraq but was not involved with the fighting. In September 1941, Mayne's division relieved the British 50th Infantry Division in Cyprus.

In June 1942, Mayne was promoted to command Indian XXI Corps which became part of Persia and Iraq Command's Tenth Army based in Baghdad.^[1]

In August 1943, XXI Corps was disbanded and Mayne returned to India to become commander of Eastern Command,^[1] being promoted full General in April 1944.

From the start of 1945, Mayne was Military Secretary to the India Office and retired in 1947.^[1]

Honours

Between 1944 and 1947 Mayne held the honorary title of ADC General to the King. He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in 1947 having previously been knighted Knight Commander of the same order (KCB) in 1944 and appointed Companion of the order in 1941. He was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1941.

Personal

Mayne was married in 1916 to Phyllis Tweddell who died in 1949. His only son pre-deceased him, killed in action in 1943 in the Italian campaign.

See also

• Iraqforce

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives

External links

• British Military History Biographies M

Military offices
Preceded by George Molesworth	Military Secretary to the India Office 1945–1947	Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Scoones

Persondata
Name	Mayne, Mosley
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1889
Place of birth
Date of death	1955
Place of death