Brigadier Robert Scott 1901 – 1995

Brigadier Robert Scott was born in Calcutta. He was commissioned from Sandhurst and after attachment to the Manchester Regiment in Jubbulpore, India was gazetted to the 4th battalion Rajputana Rifles. His military career began with action on the Northwest Frontier in the Waziristan campaign. For three years he served with the Waziristan Scouts and was mentioned in dispatches.
After the outbreak of the Second World War, his regiment was part of the famous 4th Indian Division which with the British Army defeated a much larger force of Italians at Sidi Barrani. The regiment, of which he was now second in command, was sent to East Africa and took part in the Battle of Keren. After that they moved to Syria to fight alongside the Free French, and Scott was awarded the Croix de Guerre, but was captured by the Vichy French. His time as a prisoner was short and following an agreement he was restored to the Allies in Beirut.
He returned to his regiment and took part in Auchinleck’s battle to relieve Tobruk . When Rommel attacked with superior force in May 1942, the Rajputs , now commanded by Scott were part of the 8th Army, which was pushed back until in July it stood firm at El Alamein. In November, under General Montgomery, they attacked in the great battle which drove the enemy out of Libya. Entering Tunisia, the Rajputs were involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war against the German armour around the Mareth Line and Scott was awarded an immediate D.S.O. for his “personal courage and outstanding leadership”. The citation went on to remark that he had been in continuous active operations since 1940.
Moving to Italy, he commanded the regiment at the Battle of Cassino. When the war ended he was in command of the 14th Parachute Brigade of the Indian Airborne Division, and in 1947 the brigade was at Lahore, with the Punjab Boundary Force, whose melancholy duty was to supervise the division of India and Pakistan.
From 1952 to 1961, he held the post of District Assistant, Northern Rhodesia Government. He and Peggy spent their retirement at Mill House, Mathon where they were visited by old comrades. This distinguished soldier was in old age a gentle kindly man who was always more interested in his visitors than in recalling his own outstanding career.