{{Short description|British Army general}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Major-General | name = Sir Frederick Robb | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|KCMG|KCVO}} | image = | caption = | birth_date = 8 October 1858<ref name="burkewwii"/> | death_date = 8 February 1948 (aged 89) | burial_label = | burial_place = | birth_place = London, England | death_place = Oxford, Oxfordshire, England | burial_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} --> | nickname = | allegiance = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom | branch = 23px British Army | service_years = 1880–1919 | rank = Major-General | unit = | commands = 11th Infantry Brigade | battles = Mahdist War<br/>World War I | awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath<br/>Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George<br/>Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order | relations = | other_work = }} Major-General '''Sir Frederick Spencer Wilson Robb''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|KCMG|KCVO}} (8 October 1858 – 8 February 1948) was a senior British Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary.
==Early life and education==
Robb was born in St George Hanover Square, London, the son of Capt. John Robb, Naval ''aide-de-camp'' to Queen Victoria, and Mary Ann Boulton, daughter of manufacturer Matthew Robinson Boulton. He was educated at Harrow School, Trinity Hall, Cambridge,<ref>{{acad|id= RB876FS|name=Robb, Frederick Spencer Wilson}}</ref> and the Royal Military College Sandhurst.<ref>[http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/edward-walford/the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla/page-306-the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla.shtml ''The county families of the United Kingdom or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland'', by Edward Walford, Page 306]</ref><ref name="burkewwii">{{cite book |title= Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Burke, Sir Bernard |editor-link=Bernard Burke |edition= 97th |year=1939 |page=2893 |ref=Burke }}</ref>
==Military career== Robb was commissioned into the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) in August 1880.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/ROBB.shtml Sir Frederick Spencer Wilson Robb] Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24872|page=4366|date=10 August 1880}}</ref>
He became adjutant of his regiment in 1890 before going on to be a brigade major at Aldershot in 1892.<ref name=lh/> Appointed a staff captain in the intelligence division at army headquarters in 1895, he became Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at Army Headquarters in 1896.<ref name=lh/>
Robb took part in the Nile expedition in 1898, and was then placed on half-pay<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27017|page=6237|date=25 October 1898}}</ref> and promoted to lieutenant colonel on 16 November 1898. In early 1902 he became Assistant Adjutant General at Army Headquarters, with the substantive rank of colonel dated 1 January 1902.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue=27427 |page=2693 |date=22 April 1902}}</ref> For his service in organizing troops during the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, he was invested as a Member (fourth class) of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) two days after the ceremony, on 11 August 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Court Circular|date=12 August 1902 |page=8 |issue=36844}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue=27467 |pages=5461–5462 |date=22 August 1902}}</ref> He was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general and appointed commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27859|page=8646|date=1 December 1905}}</ref> as well as the Colchester Garrison, and was placed in charge of Administration at Aldershot Command in February 1910, taking ovrr from Major General Henry Merrick Lawson.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28337|page=949|date=8 February 1910}}</ref> He became Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1914.<ref name=lh/>
Robb served in World War I, was promoted to temporary lieutenant general on 5 August 1914,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28873|page=6499|date=18 August 1914}}</ref> and, after being made military secretary to the secretary of state for war as well as secretary of the selection board in October,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28965|page=9017|date=6 November 1914}}</ref> was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in February 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=29074|page=1686|date=16 February 1915|supp=y}}</ref> He served as Military Secretary and was then placed in charge of Administration at Eastern Command in 1916,<ref name=lh/> in succession to Major-General Richard M. Ruck.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue= 29625|date=16 June 1916|page=5984}}</ref> He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1919<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=31395|page=7425|date=6 June 1919}}</ref> retired that year.<ref name=lh/>
Robb was also colonel of the Durham Light Infantry from January 1923<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32794|page=995|date=9 February 1923}}</ref> to 1928.<ref name=lh/>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Alfred Codrington}} {{s-ttl|title=Military Secretary|years=1914–1916}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Francis Davies}} |- {{s-hon}} {{s-bef|before=Russell Upcher}} {{s-ttl|title=Colonel of the Durham Light Infantry|years=1923–1928}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Beauvoir De Lisle}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robb, Frederick}} Category:1858 births Category:1948 deaths Category:British Army major generals Category:Military personnel from the City of Westminster Category:People educated at Harrow School Category:Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Durham Light Infantry officers Category:British Army generals of World War I Category:68th Regiment of Foot officers Category:British Army personnel of the Mahdist War