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Ashton Wade

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Ashton Wade
Born13 March 1898
Saffron Walden, Essex,England
Died14 January 1996 (aged 97)
Norwich, Norfolk,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1916–1950
RankMajor general
Service number19214
UnitRoyal Garrison Artillery
Royal Corps of Signals
CommandsMadrasArea
Malaya District
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Mentioned in dispatches

Major General(Douglas) Ashton (Lofft) WadeCBOBEMC(13 March 1898 – 14 January 1996) was aBritish Armyofficer who commandedMalaya DistrictafterWorld War II.

Military career

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Wade wascommissionedinto theRoyal Garrison Artilleryin 1916 and served inWorld War IinFranceandBelgiumfrom 23 September 1916 to 20 December 1916 and inItalyfrom 20 September 1917 to 4 November 1918.[1][2]He was wounded twice, awarded theMilitary Crossand was mentioned in despatches.[2][3]The citation for his MC appeared inThe London Gazettein September 1918 and reads as follows:

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when all the telephone lines from brigade headquarters to batteries and observation posts had been cut by enemy shell fire. He took out linesmen under heavy fire and mended them; and also kept up visual signalling and a service of runners, so that brigade headquarters were rarely out of communication with batteries and observation posts, and orders were successfully carried out.[4]

He transferred to theRoyal Corps of Signalsin 1921, by which time the war was over.[1]He attended theStaff College, Camberleyfrom 1933 to 1934.[5][6]

He served as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General inQuettainIndiafrom 1 January 1938 to 31 July 1939.[1]He served inWorld War IIas a General Staff Officer 1 with theBritish Expeditionary ForceinFrancefrom 26 April 1940 to 30 June 1940 and took part in theDunkirk evacuationin 1940.[1] He was again appointed General Staff Officer 1 from 1 July 1940 to 15 May 1941.[2]

He was mentioned in despatches for distinguished service in connection with operations in the field March in June 1940.[7]He was appointed an Officer of theOrder of the British Empireon 1 July 1941.[8]

He continued his war service as assistant adjutant and quartermaster general for2nd DivisioninHullfrom 16 May 1941 to 3 October 1942. He was appointed deputy adjutant general and acting major-general 4 October 1942 inSimlaand as commander of theMadrasArea in India from 1944.[1]

He was madeGeneral Officer CommandingMalaya Districtin 1947 and then became member of First and Second War Crimes Review of Sentences Boards for German, Italian and Japanese war criminals in 1948 (the second review included Field MarshalErich von Manstein) before retiring in 1950.[1]

In retirement he became telecommunicationsattachéinWashington D.C.[1]and then senior planning engineer at theIndependent Television Authority.[9]

Family

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In 1926 he married Heather Bulmer; they had one daughter.[9]Following the death of his first wife he married Cynthia Halliday (née Allen) in 1972.[9]

Publications

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  • Wade, Major-General Ashton (1988).A Life on the Line.Costello Publishing Company.ISBN978-0710430397.

References

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  1. ^abcdefgLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  2. ^abcHalf Yearly Army List January 1946
  3. ^London Gazette 30 May 1918
  4. ^"No. 30915".The London Gazette(Supplement). 20 September 1918. p. 11311.
  5. ^"No. 33904".The London Gazette.20 January 1933. p. 442.
  6. ^Smart 2005,p. 318.
  7. ^London Gazette 20 December 1940
  8. ^London Gazette 1 July 1941
  9. ^abcObituary: Major-General Ashton WadeThe Independent, 26 January 1996

Bibliography

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Military offices
Preceded by GOC Malaya District
1947–1948 		Succeeded by
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