Photo: Leslie Cole — Public domainSource
Sir Harry Wetherall
military personnel
- February 22, 1889
- November 18, 1979
- 90 years
About Sir Harry Wetherall
Sir Harry Wetherall, 90, British general.
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Full Biography
|Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall, KBE, CB, DSO, MC (22 February 1889 – 18 November 1979) was an officer in the British Army during the First and Second World Wars.
Military career
Wetherall was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1909.
He served in the First World War in France and Belgium, becoming commanding officer of 2/4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1917. In March 1918 he was seriously wounded by a piece of shell in his neck.
After the war he became a lieutenant colonel in the Machine Gun Corps and then a general staff officer for Weapon Training in Scottish Command in 1930. He then served in Palestine where he was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment in 1936 and then Commander of 19th Brigade in 1938.
He served in the Second World War as general officer commanding 11th African Division in Abyssinia in 1941: he was part of the "Southern Front" for this campaign and commanded the Division during the advance from Kenya, through Italian Somaliland, and into Ethiopia. In late 1941, with the campaign all but over, the 11th African Division was disbanded and he became General Officer Commanding the East Africa Force. He was then appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon in 1943.
After the war he became Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon at a time when the Sri Lankan independence struggle was ongoing; he retired in 1946.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Wetherall
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Sir Harry Wetherall's archived record and the sources above.
1.Which regions did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall's division advance through during the 1941 campaign?
- A.Kenya, Italian Somaliland, and Ethiopiacorrect
- B.Ceylon, Kenya, and Belgium
- C.France, Belgium, and Scotland
- D.Palestine, Sri Lanka, and India
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall commanded the division during the advance from Kenya, through Italian Somaliland, and into Ethiopia.
Source: military career section
2.What command did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall receive after the 11th African Division was disbanded in late 1941?
- A.General staff officer for Weapon Training
- B.Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon
- C.General Officer Commanding the East Africa Forcecorrect
- D.Commander of 19th Brigade
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall became General Officer Commanding the East Africa Force after the 11th African Division was disbanded.
Source: military career section
3.When was Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon?
- A.1943correct
- B.1941
- C.1936
- D.1946
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon in 1943.
Source: military career section
4.In what year did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall retire from his military career?
- A.1943
- B.1979
- C.1946correct
- D.1930
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall retired in 1946.
Source: military career section
5.What major political event was ongoing in Ceylon when Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall served there?
- A.The Italian Somaliland campaign
- B.The Second World War
- C.The First World War
- D.Sri Lankan independence strugglecorrect
Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall served as Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon at a time when the Sri Lankan independence struggle was ongoing.
Source: military career section
6.What was the date of death of Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall?
- A.18 November 1946
- B.22 February 1943
- C.18 November 1979correct
- D.22 February 1889
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall died on 18 November 1979.
Source: biographical introduction
7.Who wrote the biographical dictionary entry cited in the bibliography regarding Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall?
- A.Nick Smartcorrect
- B.Harry Wetherall
- C.None of these authors
- D.Barnes Ley
The bibliography lists Smart, Nick (2005) as the author of the Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War.
Source: bibliography section
8.Which military corps did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall serve in as a lieutenant colonel after the First World War?
- A.11th African Division
- B.Gloucestershire Regiment
- C.Machine Gun Corpscorrect
- D.York and Lancaster Regiment
After the war, Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall became a lieutenant colonel in the Machine Gun Corps.
Source: military career section
9.What was the date of birth of Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall?
- A.22 February 1930
- B.12 March 1909
- C.22 February 1889correct
- D.18 November 1979
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was born on 22 February 1889.
Source: biographical introduction
10.In which military unit was Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall first commissioned in 1909?
- A.Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- B.Gloucestershire Regimentcorrect
- C.York and Lancaster Regiment
- D.Machine Gun Corps
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1909.
Source: military career section
11.During which year did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall become the commanding officer of the 2/4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry?
- A.1918
- B.1909
- C.1917correct
- D.1930
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall became the commanding officer of the 2/4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1917.
Source: military career section
12.Where was Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall wounded by a piece of shell in March 1918?
- A.His leg
- B.His neckcorrect
- C.His shoulder
- D.His arm
In March 1918, Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was seriously wounded by a piece of shell in his neck.
Source: military career section
13.What role did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall hold in Scottish Command in 1930?
- A.Commander of 19th Brigade
- B.General staff officer for Weapon Trainingcorrect
- C.Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion
- D.General Officer Commanding the East Africa Force
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall served as a general staff officer for Weapon Training in Scottish Command in 1930.
Source: military career section
14.In 1936, Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was appointed Commanding Officer of which unit?
- A.2/4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- B.Gloucestershire Regiment
- C.1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regimentcorrect
- D.11th African Division
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was appointed Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment in 1936.
Source: military career section
15.What position did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall hold in 1938?
- A.Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon
- B.Commander of 19th Brigadecorrect
- C.General staff officer for Weapon Training
- D.General Officer Commanding the East Africa Force
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall was appointed Commander of 19th Brigade in 1938.
Source: military career section
16.During the Second World War in 1941, what division did Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall command in Abyssinia?
- A.1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
- B.19th Brigade
- C.Machine Gun Corps
- D.11th African Divisioncorrect
Sir Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall served as general officer commanding 11th African Division in Abyssinia in 1941.
Source: military career section
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