Robert Cottrell-Hill

Robert Charles Cottrell-Hill
Born	Robert Charles Hill 7 November 1903 Khadki, Maharashtra, India
Died	10 November 1965 (aged 62) Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1924–1959
Rank	Major-General
Unit	Border Regiment
Commands held	71st Indian Infantry Brigade British Forces in Berlin
Battles/wars	Arab revolt in Palestine World War II
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Military Cross Mentioned in dispatches

Major-General Robert Charles Cottrell-Hill CB CBE DSO* MC (born Robert Charles Hill; 7 November 1903 – 10 November 1965) was Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin.

Military career

Educated at Bedford School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,^[1] Cottrell-Hill was commissioned into the Border Regiment in 1924.^[2] He served with the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment and was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for bravery at El Yamun near Jenin in Palestine, during the Arab revolt, in 1938,^[1] and was later mentioned in dispatches for his services there.^[3]

He served in World War II initially as a brigade major^[1] and latterly as Commander of the 71st Indian Infantry Brigade.^[4] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for services in Arakan in 1944 and a Bar to his DSO for an assault landing at Ramree Island, located off the coast of Arakan, in 1945.^[5]

In 1948 he became Deputy Director of Infantry at the War Office and in 1950 he was made Chief of Staff at Malaya Command.^[2] He returned the War Office as Director of Military Training in 1953 and became Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin in 1955.^[2] He joined the Regular Commissions Board in 1957 and retired in 1959.^[2]

References