Christison, Sir Alexander Frank Philip

Christison, Sir Alexander Frank Philip (1893–1993) Britain's excellent senior commander in Rangoon and Southeast Asia During World War II, Christison commanded the British forces at Rangoon, where he proved highly effective against the Japanese. By the end of the war, he was the highest-ranking British officer in Southeast Asia, and the honor of accepting the surrender of all Japanese forces in the theater fell to him on September 3, 1945. Christison served in World War I and, on the eve of World War II, during 1937–38, was commanding officer of the duke of Wellington's regiment, then from 1938 to 1940, commanding officer of the Quetta Brigade, India. In 1940, he was named commandant of Staff College, Quetta, then became commander of the 15th Division in 1941. He transferred to command of the XXXIII Indian Corps, Burma, in 1942, and to the XV Indian Corps, Burma, in 1943. He commanded this unit through 1945, when he took command of the Fourteenth Army, also in Burma. Simultaneously, Christison was named commander in chief, Allied Land Forces South East Asia. After accepting the Japanese surrender, Christison served as military governor of the Dutch East Indies. During 1946–47, he was commander in chief of the Northern Command and of the Scottish Command, as well as governor at Edinburgh Castle. In 1947, he was appointed aide-de-camp general to the king, a post he held until his retirement from the army in 1949. Christison went on to become secretary of the Scottish Education Department in the 1950s and 1960s. He lived to the remarkable age of 100.