{{Short description|British Army general}} {{distinguish|Arthur Short (disambiguation){{!}}Arthur Short}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Major-General |name= Arthur Shortt |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|OBE}} |image= Arthur Charles Shortt.jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date|1899|04|02|df=yes}} |birth_place= Weare, Somerset |death_date= June 1984 (aged 85) |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= British Army |service_years= 1916–1956 |rank= Major-General |service_number= 10886 |unit= Royal Engineers |commands= |battles= First World War<br/>Second World War |awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath<br/>Officer of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Mentioned in Despatches<br/>Legion of Honour (France) |relations= |other_work= }} Major-General '''Arthur Charles Shortt''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|OBE}} (2 April 1899 – June 1984) was a British Army officer who served as Director of Military Intelligence from 1949 to 1953.
==Military career== Shortt was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 26 August 1916, during the First World War.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29723|page=8403|date=1 January 1951}}</ref> He served during the interwar period, where he was in charge of a company of Gentlemen Cadets at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich from January 1931.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33687|page=833|date=6 February 1931}}</ref>
Shortt served in the Second World War as Director of Technical Training at the War Office from May 1943,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Shortt/Arthur_Charles/Great_Britain.html|title=Arthur Shortt|publisher=Generals.dk|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> before seeing action in North-West Europe in 1944.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hut-six.co.uk/WW2data/WO373-84-U.html|title=Recommendations for Honours and Awards|publisher=Hut 6|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1945.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37138|page=3218|date=1 January 1951}}</ref>
Shortt became Director of Military Intelligence in December 1949,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf |title=Army commands |accessdate=8 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112744/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf |archivedate=4 March 2016 |df=dmy }}</ref> in which role he regarded the British Army of the Rhine Intelligence Service "as the most important Field Agency on the Soviet Army anywhere".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/people/aldrich/publications/jss.baor.pdf|title=Intelligence within BAOR and NATO's Northern Army Group|page=97|publisher=The Journal of Strategic Studies|volume= 31|date= February 2008|first=Richard|last=Aldrich|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1951 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39104|supp=y|page=3|date=1 January 1951}}</ref> and went on to be Head of the Joint Services Liaison Staff in Australia in September 1953 before retiring in April 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |title=Ministry of Defence senior posts |accessdate=8 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033054/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Ministry%20of%20Defence%20Senior%20Posts.pdf |archivedate=17 November 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://generals.dk/general/Shortt/Arthur_Charles/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Douglas Packard}} {{s-ttl|title=Director of Military Intelligence|years=1949–1953}} {{s-aft|after=Valentine Boucher}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shortt, Arthur}} Category:1899 births Category:1984 deaths Category:British Army major generals Category:Academics of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Royal Engineers officers Category:Military personnel from Somerset Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II