Japanese flag, General Sir Frank Messervy, 1944 (c)
One of two Japanese flags collected by General Sir Frank Messervy), World War Two, Far East (1941-1945), 1944 (c).
Japanese national flag with red sun on a white ground.
General Sir Frank Messervy (1893-1974) served with 9th Hodson's Horse in France, Palestine and Syria during World War One (1914-1918). He had remained in the Army between the wars, and went on to serve with great distinction in East Africa, North Africa, and Burma during the World War Two (1939-1945), becoming one of Britain's finest corps and divisional commanders. Messervy served with 7th Armoured Division in Libya in 1942.
In July 1943, Messervy was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7th Indian Infantry Division which was sent to the Arakan in Burma to join XV Corps in September. Messervy led the troops that re-captured Malaya from the Japanese in 1945, and he served as Commander-in-Chief Malaya.
After the War, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command, India, from 1946 to 1947. When Pakistan was established following Partition, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army from 1947 to 1948. He retired in 1948. He died in Midhurst, Sussex, in 1974.
NAM Accession Number
NAM. 1974-08-99-1
Copyright/Ownership
National Army Museum Copyright
Location
National Army Museum, Study Collection
Object URL
https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1974-08-99-1