Thomas Henry Scott Galletly Explained

Honorific Prefix:Brigadier
Thomas Henry Scott Galletly
Honorific Suffix:DSO&bar MC
Birth Date:23 August 1905
Birth Place:Hendon, Middlesex
Death Place:Christchurch, Hampshire
Allegiance: United Kingdom
Rank:Brigadier
Servicenumber:38636
Unit:South Wales Borderers

Brigadier Thomas Henry Scott Galletly (23 August 1905 – 5 April 1972) was a senior officer in the British Army during the Second World War.[1] [2] He was Commanding Officer of the 28th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade in Burma between 21 February 1945 and 1 June 1945,[3] the 27th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade between 30 May 1945 and 14 June 1945 and, from 18 July 1945, was Commanding Officer of the 27th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade.[4]

Career

Thomas Henry Scott Galletly was born on 23 August 1905 in Hendon, Middlesex, the son of Thomas Galletly of Normanton, Rutland and Edith Galletly of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire. He was educated at Bedford Modern School and Sandhurst.[1]

During the Second World War, he served in Abyssinia (1941) and Madagascar (1942). He served as Acting Commanding Officer of the 27th (N Rhodesia) Infantry Brigade in Madagascar (1943), the 25th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade in Burma (1944) and the 26th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade in Burma (16 January 1945 to 15 February 1945).[4] He was Commanding Officer of the 28th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade in Burma between 21 February 1945 and 1 June 1945,[3] the 27th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade between 30 May 1945 and 14 June 1945 and, from 18 July 1945, he was Commanding Officer of the 27th (East Africa) Infantry Brigade.[4] He was a Commander of the 1st Brigade, Arab League under Lieutenant-General Sir John Bagot Glubb.[5]

During the East African Campaign he was awarded the Military Cross. In March 1945 he was awarded an immediate Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for action in Burma. Later the same year he added a bar to the DSO for the following action: 'While in command of a detached column with orders to cut the enemy's lines of communication in the Myitha Gorge, he carried out his mission in the face of determined opposition, and by maintaining an isolated position for three days, materially contributed to the liquidation of the enemy's defences at Kalewa'.[6]

Galletly was a rugby union player, and scored 19 tries in 27 matches for Bedford between 1923 and 1927.[7] He died in Christchurch, Hampshire on 5 April 1972.

References

  1. Kelly’s Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes 1958, Published by Kelly’s Directories Limited 1958
  2. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37262/supplement/4558/data.pdf Supplement to The London Gazette, 13 September 1945, Issue 37262, p. 4558
  3. Book: The King's African Rifles - Volume 2. 13 February 2012. Andrews UK Limited . 9781781506639. 5 July 2015.
  4. Web site: Biography of Brigadier Thomas Henry Scott Galletly (1905 – 1972), Great Britain. generals.dk. 5 July 2015.
  5. Book: The Harpur Trust, 1552-1973.. 903515. 5 July 2015.
  6. The Eagle Volume XXV, no. 4 p. 308
  7. Neil Roy, '100 Years of the Blues. The Bedfordshire Times Centenary History of Bedford RUFC', (Bedford, 1986), pp. 204-206