Lewis Heath
| Sir Lewis Macclesfield Heath | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | 'Piggy' |
| Born | 23 November 1885 |
| Died |
10 January 1954 (aged 68)[1] Bath, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Indian Army |
| Years of service | 1906 – 1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Commands held |
Wana Brigade 5th Indian Division III Indian Corps |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Order of the Indian Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross |
Lieutenant-General Sir Lewis Macclesfield Heath, KBE CB CIE DSO MC (23 November 1885 – 10 January 1954) was an officer in the British Army and the Indian Army during the pre-World War I years, World War I, the interwar years, and World War II.
Biography
Heath was born in 1885, the son of Col. Lewis Forbes Heath of the British Indian Army, and was educated at Wellington College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He joined the British Indian Army in 1905.[1]
Nicknamed "Piggy", Heath achieved some success as GOC 5th Indian Division during the East African Campaign. He was appointed to command III Indian Corps on 11 April 1941 as part of the Malaya Command which then participated in the Battle of Malaya. He was unable to stop the Japanese advance and had conflicting opinions on how to conduct the campaign with his commanding officer, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival. He was captured during the Battle of Singapore.
In 1915, Heath married Marjorie, daughter of Brigadier-General A. B. H. Drew, and had three sons and two daughters. In 1941, he remarried Kathleen Longeron of Auckland and had another son.[1]
Service biography
Heath joined the Indian Army 1906 and served with the King's African Rifles from 1909 to 1913. He saw action in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. He served in East Persia from 1919 to 1921 and transferred to the 10/14 Punjab Regiment in 1928. He became Commander, 1 Battalion 11th Sikh Regiment in 1929 and was deployed to the North West Frontier in India in 1930 and 1932. He became an instructor at the Senior Officers School, Belgaum, India in 1934 and Commander, Wana Brigade in 1936, in which capacity he was deployed to the North West Frontier in 1937. He went on to be Commander, Deccan District in 1939.
He saw action in the Second World War as Commander, Indian 5th Infantry Division from 1939 and as Commander, Indian III Corps, Malaya from 1941. He was taken as Prisoner of war and held in prison in Singapore, Formosa, and Manchukuo (Manchuria) between 1942 and 1945. He retired in 1946.
References
- Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War, Nick Smart. ISBN 1-84415-049-6.