Frederick Witts

Lieutenant-General Frederick Vavasour Broome Witts CB, CBE, DSO, MC (30 January 1889 – 1969) was a senior British Army officer.

Frederick Witts
Born	30 January 1889 Upper Slaughter
Died	1969
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Lieutenant-General
Commands held	8th Indian Brigade 45th Infantry Division 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division Bombay District
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross

Military career

Educated at Radley College,[1] Witts was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 23 July 1907.[2] He served in First World War and was awarded the Military Cross.[3] He became Commander Royal Engineers for the 5th Infantry Division in 1933, Brigadier on the general staff of Western Command in India in December 1937 and commander of 8th Indian Brigade in India in May 1938.[4]

In the Second World War he served as General Officer Commanding 45th Infantry Division from September 1939, Deputy Chief of Staff for the British Expeditionary Force in France from April 1940 and General Officer Commanding 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division from May 1940.[5] After that he became General Officer Commanding Bombay District in India from July 1941 and Acting General Officer Commanding Southern Command in India in 1942 before retiring in 1943.[6]

References

1. Crisp, Frederick Arthur (1902). "Visitation of England and Wales". Heritage Books. ISBN 978-0788404054.
2. "No. 28049". The London Gazette. 9 August 1907. p. 5450.
3. "No. 13071". The Edinburgh Gazette. 28 March 1917. p. 642.
4. "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
5. Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1990]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1., p. 39
6. "Witts, Frederick Vavasour Broome". Generals.dk. Retrieved 29 June 2020.