Alister Dallas

Major-General Alister Grant Dallas CB, CMG (10 June 1866 – 2 February 1931) was a British Army officer.

Alister Dallas
Born	10 June 1866 Kensington, London, England
Died	2 February 1931 (aged 64) Hambledon, Hampshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Rank	Major-General
Commands	32nd Infantry Brigade 53rd (Welsh) Division
Battles / wars	Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Order of the White Eagle, 2nd Class (Serbia)

Early military career

Born the son of Alexander Grant Dallas, JP, DL and Mabel Alice Brooke,^[1] Dallas was commissioned into the 16th The Queen's Lancers as a lieutenant on 23 August 1886.^[2]

He was promoted to captain on 7 March 1892, and in 1897 served in the campaign in the North West Frontier of India, first as orderly officer to Major-General Penn Symons, commanding 2nd brigade, Tochi Field Force, and then followed Symons as aide-de-camp when he commanded the 1st division in the Tirah campaign. During the latter, he was present at the capture of the Sampagha and Arhanga passes (October 1897), the reconnaissance of the Saran Sar, operations in the Waran an Mastura Valleys and forcing of the Sapri pass (November 1897). For his service in this expedition he was mentioned in despatches and received the India Medal with two clasps.^[3]

Second Boer War

He served in the Second Boer War, where he was seconded for special service in South Africa^[4] and was wounded during the conflict.^[5] He was promoted from supernumerary captain to captain in October 1901^[6] and to major the next month.^[7]

Post-war years

After the war, and after transferring to the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) in October 1902,^[8] he served from January 1905 onwards as a DAAG at the War Office, in succession to Colonel William Henry Birkbeck.^[9] He then became commandant of the School of Musketry in South Africa in 1907.^[1] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 1907.^[10] Towards the end of his assignment as commandant, he was promoted to colonel in July 1911.^[11] He relinquished this appointment later that month and was then placed on half-pay.^[12] In October, after coming off of half-pay, he succeeded Colonel Count Gleichen as a general staff officer, grade 1 (GSO1) at the War Office in London.^[13]

First World War

In October 1914, a few weeks after the start of the First World War, Dallas became GSO1, essentially chief of staff, to Lieutenant General Henry Rawlinson, who had recently been assigned as general officer commanding (GOC) IV Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front.^[14][15] Promoted in January 1915 to temporary brigadier general, and made a brigadier general, general staff,^[16] he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in February 1915.^[17] Rawlinson made staff changes in August 1915 and Dallas, promoted to temporary brigadier general in September,^[18] became commander of the 11th (Northern) Division's 32nd Infantry Brigade, which he led in the final stages of the Gallipoli campaign.^[1]

After being evacuated from Gallipoli, Dallas was promoted to the temporary rank of major general in January 1916^[19] and became GOC of the 53rd (Welsh) Division, at the time serving in Egypt. After having had his major general's rank made substantive in January 1917,^[20] he saw action with his division at the First and Second Battles of Gaza, in which his division suffered significant losses, in March and April.^[21] He was appointed to the Order of the White Eagle, 2nd Class by the King of Serbia in February 1917,^[22] and handed over command of his division in April 1917.^[23]

Final years

He retired from the army in January 1922.^[24]

He died in February 1931, at the age of 64.^[25]