Brigadier Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby CIE OBE (12 December 1899 – 30 October 1945) was a British Indian Army officer killed in a shootout during the Battle of Surabaya in what was then the newly proclaimed as independent Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution. At the time of his death, Mallaby was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 49th Indian Infantry Brigade. Mallaby's death became a major event of hostilities in Surabaya surrounding Indonesian independence, triggering a retaliatory military action by British forces in the city, from the 5th Indian Division. Biography Mallaby was born to actor and acting company manager William Calthorpe Mallaby (né William Calthorpe Deeley- his father insisted on a stage name; d. 1912) and Katharine Mary Francis, daughter of George Miller, CB, Assistant Secretary of the Board of Education (son of Rev. Sir Thomas Combe Miller, 6th Baronet) on 12 December 1899. His younger brother was the public servant George Mallaby, British High Commissioner to New Zealand from 1957 to 1959. Mallaby attended the Wellington Cadet College in India and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on the Unattached List, Indian Army on 1 October 1918, being admitted to the Indian Army on 8 October 1918 and was appointed to the 27th Punjabis. He transferred to the 67th Punjabis (later 1st battalion, 2nd Punjab regiment) on 20 July 1919 and promoted lieutenant on 1 October 1919. He served in Waziristan between 1921 and 1924. He received promotion to captain on 1 October 1924. Mallaby attended Camberley Staff College between 1930–1931 and was appointed a General Staff Officer, 3rd grade on 5 February 1933, being promoted to General Staff Officer, 2nd grade (for RAF co-operation duties), on 1 April 1933. This appointment lasted until 4 February 1937. He was promoted brevet major on 1 July 1935 and substantive major on 1 October 1936. He was appointed a General Staff Officer, 2nd grade at the War Office in London on 1 March 1938 (being promoted war substantive Lt-Col on 15 August 1941), later being appointed Deputy Director of Military Operation in the rank of Brigadier and remained at the War Office until 1942. He was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire OBE as Major, temporary Lt-Col, acting Brigadier. Mallaby returned to India and served as major and second in command of the 6th Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment, from April to