Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson | |
|---|---|
 Major General H.C.H. Robertson accepting the sword of Japanese Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi following the Japanese surrender, 13 September 1945. | |
| Nickname(s) | "Red Robbie" |
| Born | 29 October 1894 Warrnambool, Victoria |
| Died | 28 April 1960 (aged 65) Heidelberg, Victoria |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1954 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Service number | VX20321 |
| Commands | British Commonwealth Forces Korea (1951) British Commonwealth Occupation Force (1946–51) Southern Command (1946, 1953–54) First Australian Army (1945–46) 6th Division (1945) 5th Division (1945) Western Command (1944–45) III Corps (1944) 2nd Division (1943–44) 1st Armoured Division (1942–43) 1st Cavalry Division (1942) 19th Infantry Brigade (1940–41) 7th Military District (1939–40) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (4) Officer of the Order of the Nile (Egypt) Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) Taegeuk Order of Military Merit (Korea) |
Lieutenant General Sir Horace Clement Hugh Robertson, KBE, DSO (29 October 1894 – 28 April 1960) was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. He was one of the first graduates of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, to reach the ranks of major general and lieutenant general.
During the First World War, Robertson served with the 10th Light Horse in the Gallipoli Campaign, including the disastrous Battle of the Nek, where much of his regiment was wiped out. He later participated in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, where he captured a Turkish Army general, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
During the Second World War, Robertson led the 19th Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Bardia and accepted the surrender of the Italian Navy at Benghazi. Later, he commanded the 1st Armoured Division in Western Australia. In the final weeks of the war he commanded troops in the closing stages of the New Britain Campaign and the Aitape–Wewak campaign. At the end of the war, he accepted the surrender of Japanese Lieutenant General Hatazō Adachi.
Following the war, he commanded the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in the Occupation of Japan and the British Commonwealth Forces Korea in the Korean War. Robertson was a key figure in establishing the Australian Armoured Corps. Its headquarters in Darwin is named Robertson Barracks in his honour.