Oswald Borrett
{{Short description|British Army general (1878–1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant-General
| name = Sir Oswald Borrett
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|CMG|CBE|DSO}}
| image = Oswald Borrett in 1936.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Borrett in 1936
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1878|03|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Gibraltar
| death_date = {{death date and age|1950|07|28|1878|03|04|df=yes}}
| death_place = Guildford, Surrey
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army
| serviceyears = 1898–1938
1940–1941
| rank = Lieutenant-General
| unit =
| commands = British Troops in China
46th (North Midland) Division
British Troops in the Shanghai Area
7th Indian Infantry Brigade
| battles = Second Boer War
First World War
North-West Frontier
| awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order & Bar
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Lieutenant-General Sir Oswald Cuthbert Borrett, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|CMG|CBE|DSO1}} (4 March 1878 – 28 July 1950) was a British Army officer who served as Commander of British Troops in China and Lieutenant of the Tower of London.
Early life and family
Borrett was born in Gibraltar, the fifth son of Major General Herbert Cuthbert Borrett. He was educated at Wellington College and Royal Military College Sandhurst.{{cite news |title=Sir Oswald Borrett |work=The Times |page=6 |date= 29 July 1950 }}
In 1903, he married Blanche Mary Murray, daughter of Colonel Alexander Murray. His brother, Harold Giles Borrett, married actress Marie Studholme in 1908."Marie Studholme Wedded", The New York Times, 12 September 1908, p. 4c
Military career
Borrett was commissioned into the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) as a second lieutenant on 7 May 1898.{{cite web|url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/BORRETT.shtml |title=Borrett, Oswald|publisher=Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924101031/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/BORRETT.shtml|accessdate=13 June 2020|archive-date=24 September 2012}} He served in the Second Boer War as a special service officer, was promoted to lieutenant on 5 February 1900,{{London Gazette|issue=27168|page=1258|date=23 February 1900}}{{London Gazette|issue=27173| page=1711|date=13 March 1900}} and to captain on 22 January 1902.{{London Gazette|issue=27423|page=2336|date=8 April 1902}} After the end of the war in South Africa, he returned to a regular posting with his regiment in August 1902.{{London Gazette |issue=27482|date=14 October 1902|page=6495}} He then became Adjutant in the Indian Volunteers in 1911.
He also served in the First World War and then went out to the North-West Frontier in India in September 1920. He became Colonel Commandant of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade in June 1923. He was appointed Commander of British Troops in the Shanghai Area of China in August 1927, General Officer Command 46th (North Midland) Division in May 1931 and Commander of British Troops in China in December 1932 before retiring in 1938.
During the Second World War he was appointed Inspector of Prisoners.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19410923&id=_i0VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YfUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7022,4556062 Prison Director gives up post] Spokane Daily Chronicle, 23 September 1941
He also became Lieutenant of the Tower of London in April 1936 (until 1939) and Aide-de-camp to the King as well as Colonel of the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) (1926–1945).
He retired to Lowood House in Rockshaw Road in Reigate.[http://www.rockshawroad.org.uk/Descriptions.htm Rockshaw Road]
Borrett Road in Mid-Levels in Hong Kong is named after him.{{cite web|url=https://www.aab.gov.hk/form/historic_30_new_items.pdf|title=Historic Building Appraisal: No. 99F Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Sir Percy Hambro}}
{{s-ttl|title=GOC 46th (North Midland) Division|years=1931–1932}}
{{s-aft|after=Maurice Taylor}}
|-
{{succession box | before=James Sandilands | title=Commander of British Troops in China | years=1932–1935 | after=Arthur Bartholomew}}
|-
{{s-hon}}
{{s-bef | before = Archibald Hunter}}
{{s-ttl | title = Colonel of the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) |years=1926–1945}}
{{s-aft | after = Russell Mortimer Luckock}}
{{end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borrett, Oswald}}
Category:King's Own Royal Regiment officers
Category:British Army lieutenant generals
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Category:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst