Arthur Barrett ( Indian Army officer ) Field Marshal Sir Arthur Arnold Barrett GCB GCSI KCVO ADC ( 3 June 1857 – 20 October 1926 ) was a British officer of the Indian Army . He saw action at the Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment in December 1879 and at the Battle of Kandahar in September 1880 during the Second Anglo - Afghan War and went on to serve in the Hunza - Nagar Campaign in 1891 . During World War I he was General Officer Commanding the Poona Division which successfully took Basra in Mesopotamia in November 1914 and then Al - Qurnah in Mesopotamia in December 1914 . He spent the rest of the War commanding the Northern Army in which role he took part in operations against the Mahsud s in Spring 1917 . He saw action again as the senior British officer on the ground during the Third Anglo - Afghan War in 1919 before retiring in May 1920 . Early life and service . Born the son of Alfred Barrett ( a clergyman ) and Emma Barrett ( née Collins ) , Barrett was commissioned sub - lieutenant in the 44th Regiment of Foot on 10 September 1875 and immediately sailed to join his regiment in Secunderabad , India . He was promoted to lieutenant in June 1878 with seniority backdated to the date of his commission . He transferred from the 44th Foot to the Indian Staff Corps on 17 January 1879 and was posted to the 3rd Sikhs , a regiment of the Punjab Frontier Force , and saw action at the Siege of the Sherpur Cantonment in December 1879 and at the Battle of Kandahar in September 1880 during the Second Anglo - Afghan War . Barrett transferred to the 5th Gurkha Rifles in 1882 and , having been promoted to captain on 10 September 1886 , he took part in the Hunza - Nagar Campaign in 1891 . Later service in India . Promoted to major on 10 September 1895 , Barrett became deputy assistant quartermaster - general and then assistant quartermaster - general of the large force mobilised for the Tirah Campaign in 1897 . He was mentioned in dispatches and promoted to brevet lieutenant - colonel on 20 May 1898 on appointment as assistant adjutant - general of the Punjab Frontier Force . He became Commanding Officer of the 5th Gurkha Rifles in 1899 and received promotion to the substantive rank of lieutenant - colonel on 10 September 1901 and to brevet colonel on ll October 1902 . He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) in 1903 and became deputy adjutant - general at Northern Command in India with the substantive rank of colonel on 20 February 1905 . He was promoted major - general on 1 December 1906 and given command of the Nowshera Brigade on 29 March 1907 . He commanded the second brigade in the Bazar Valley Campaign in February 1908 and operations against the Mohmand s a few months later and for this he was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) on 14 August 1908 . He was appointed Adjutant - General , India on 1 April 1909 and , having been promoted to lieutenant general on 23 October 1911 , he was given command of the Poona Division on 21 February 1912 . He was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( KCVO ) on 14 January 1912 . First World War and aftermath . On the declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914 Barrett was sent to Mesopotamia with his division and occupied the city of Basra later that month . Before the end of the year he had pushed forwards to occupy Al - Qurnah . When the troops in Mesopotamia were reorganised as a corps under John Nixon in 1915 he retained command of the 6th Division , but soon resigned due to ill - health , passing command to Charles Townshend . He returned to India , was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India ( KCSI ) , and became General Officer Commanding the Northern Army on 31 May 1916 . He commanded operations against the Mahsud s in March to August 1917 . Promoted to full general on 1 August 1917 , he was appointed ADC General to the King on 3 November 1917 and was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) in the 1918 King ' s Birthday Honours . When the Third Anglo - Afghan War broke out in May 1919 Barrett was given command of the North - West Frontier Force and was the senior officer on the ground throughout the war . He was promoted to Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India ( GCSI ) on 1 January 1920 . Retirement . Barrett retired from the Indian Army on 31 May 1920 . He was promoted to field marshal on 12 April 1921 and received the Japan ese Order of the Rising Sun 1st Class on 19 August 1921 . He died at his home in Sharnbrook , Bedfordshire on 20 October 1926 . Family . In 1894 Barrett married Mary Haye ; they had one daughter . After his first wife died he married Ella Lafone in 1907 ; they had no children . Further reading .