Webb Gillman
Sir Webb Gillman, was a British Army general during the First World War.
Personal life
Webb Gillman was born on 26 October 1870 in Galle, Ceylon, the second son of Herbert Webb Gillman CCS and Annie née Mackwood.On 8 February 1911 he married Caroline Grace Elizabeth Rube, the daughter of Charles Rube. They had three children: Herbert Charles Rube, who fought in the Second World War, was appointed a MBE and awarded the Croix de Guerre, reaching the rank of Colonel in the Royal Artillery; Catherine Anne Rube and Susan Elizabeth.
Military career
Educated at Dulwich College, Gillman was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in July 1889. He was promoted to lieutenant on 27 July 1892, and to captain on 9 October 1899. He served in the Second Boer War 1899–1900, where he took part in the Relief of Kimberley, and the following battles of Paardeberg, Poplar Grove, and Driefontein.In late 1901 he was in Southern Nigeria, where he was attached as a staff officer to the columns taking part in the Aro-Anglo war, for which he was mentioned in despatches by the officer in command as an "invaluable officer, cool and full of energy". He was also appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order for services during the war. In May 1902 he received a regular appointment as captain of the 119 Battery of the Field Artillery. He later spent time in Southern Nigeria in 1902. In April 1908 he served as an assistant military secretary to Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Paget, who had recently been placed in charge of Eastern Command.
He served in the First World War, being promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1914 and seconded in January 1915 to the 13th Division as its general staff officer, grade 1. In February 1915 he was made a CMG and in October he was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general and became a brigadier general, Royal Artillery while serving with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. He was then promoted to brevet colonel in February 1916, "for Distinguished Service in the Field", although this was later antedated to January. He was advanced to temporary major general in June while serving with the British Salonika Army and served as its chief of the general staff. He became commander of the 17th Indian Division in August 1917. He became CGS of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force later on, dated December 1917. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1917, and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1919. His rank of major general became substantive in June 1918.
After the war he became commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in 1920, Inspector of Artillery at the War Office in 1924 and, after being promoted to lieutenant general in November 1926, Master-General of the Ordnance in 1927. In 1927 he spent three months in Singapore assessing the defence capability of the Naval Base there.
Finally, in March 1931, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command; he died in office in 1933. He had been promoted to general in July 1931.