Field Marshal Sir Charles Comyn Egerton (10 November 1848 – 20 February 1921) was a senior
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
officer from the
Egerton family
The Egerton family (pronunciation: "''edge-er-ton''") is a British aristocratic family. Over time, several members of the Egerton family were made Dukes, Earls, knights, baronets and peers. Hereditary titles held by the Egerton family include t ...
.
Early in his career he took part in the
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...
, the
Hazara Expedition
The Hazara Expedition of 1888, also known as the Black Mountain Expedition or the First Hazara Expedition, was a military campaign by the British against the tribes of Kala Dhaka (then known as the Black Mountains of Hazara) in the Hazara regio ...
and operations in the
Khyber Pass. He went on to command the Bannu column during operations in
Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
in 1894 and to serve as senior staff officer for the
Tochi Expedition The Tochi Expedition was a punitive visit by Anglo-Indian troops to the Tochi Valley, Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziri ...
in 1897. Egerton took command of the troops in
British Somaliland fighting the Dervish leader Sayid Abdullah Hassan in June 1903; he had a significant success at Jidbali in January 1904 killing 1,000 of Hassan's men. His last appointment was as
General Officer Commanding Secunderabad District in 1904 before retiring in 1907.
Military career
Born the third son of Major-General
Caledon Egerton
Major-General Caledon Richard Egerton (28 July 1814 – 27 May 1874) was a senior British Army officer from the Egerton family who went on to be Military Secretary.
Military career
Egerton was commissioned into the 89th Regiment of Foot. He w ...
and Margaret Egerton (née Cumming) and educated at
Rossall School
Rossall School is a public school (English independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania ...
and the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst
The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infant ...
, Egerton was
commissioned into the
31st Regiment of Foot
The 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1702. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot to form the East Surrey Regiment in 1881.
History Origins
...
on 9 June 1867. He immediately transferred to the
76th Regiment of Foot
The 76th Regiment of Foot was a British Army regiment, raised in 1787. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 33rd (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment to form the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in 1881.
History
Formation
The regiment ...
in India.
[Heathcote, p. 115] Promoted to lieutenant on 19 October 1869, he joined the Indian Staff Corps on 11 December 1872 before being promoted to
captain on 8 June 1879 on appointment to a squadron in the
3rd Punjab Cavalry.
[
Egerton served with his regiment in the ]Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...
in 1879 and was mentioned in despatches. He became Assistant Adjutant-General of the Punjab Frontier Force on 30 November 1886 and, having been promoted to major on 8 June 1887, he took part in the Hazara Expedition
The Hazara Expedition of 1888, also known as the Black Mountain Expedition or the First Hazara Expedition, was a military campaign by the British against the tribes of Kala Dhaka (then known as the Black Mountains of Hazara) in the Hazara regio ...
in 1888 and in operations in the Khyber Pass in 1891 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
(DSO) on 30 May 1891. Promoted to lieutenant colonel on 1 September 1891, he became Second-in-Command of his regiment in 1892 and commanded the Bannu column during operations in Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...
in 1894 before becoming Assistant Quartermaster-General at Bengal Command on 21 June 1895. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and then promoted to colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
on 1 September 1895.
Egerton commanded a contingent of troops sent to Suakin
Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north.
Suakin used to b ...
in 1896 to hold the town when its permanent garrison was withdrawn for service under Lord Kitchener following which he became an aide-de-camp to the Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
on 17 November 1896. He was senior staff officer and Commander of the 1st Brigade for the Tochi Expedition The Tochi Expedition was a punitive visit by Anglo-Indian troops to the Tochi Valley, Waziristan
Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziri ...
in 1897 before becoming Commander-in-Chief Punjab Command with local promotion to major-general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
on 1 April 1899. He was promoted to the local rank of lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
on 3 April 1900, and reverted to his command of the Frontier Force in October 1901 when his command in Punjab ended. A promotion to the substantive rank of major-general followed on 1 April 1902 and, after leading an expedition to Waziristan later that year, he was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as o ...
(KCB) on 1 January 1903.
Egerton took command of the troops in British Somaliland fighting the Dervishes led by Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Sayid Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan ( so, Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan; 1856–1920) was a Somali religious and military leader of the Dervish movement, which led a two-decade long confrontation with various colonial empires including the British, ...
on 27 June 1903. Promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant general on 28 October 1903, he became Commander-in-Chief Madras Command
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. He had a significant success at Jidbali in January 1904 killing 1,000 of Hassan's men. However in March 1904 questions were still being asked in the British Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
as to whether Hassan (then known as the "Mad Mullah") understood that operations would only end when he was captured or killed.
Egerton became colonel of the 23rd Punjab Cavalry (Frontier Force) in 1904.[Heathcote, p. 116] He was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) on 24 June 1904 and promoted to full general on 28 October 1906.[ After retiring on 5 February 1907, he became a member of the Council of India from which post he stood down in 1917.][ In recognition of his long service he was promoted to field marshal on 16 March 1917.
In retirement Egerton wrote about his wartime experiences and was the author of a book entitled "Hill Warfare on the North-West frontier of India". He died on 20 February 1921 and was buried at St Mark's Churchyard at ]Highcliffe
Highcliffe-on-Sea (usually simply Highcliffe) is a seaside town in Dorset in England, administered since April 2019 as part of the unitary authority of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation alo ...
in Dorset.
Family
In 1877 Egerton married Anna Wellwood and they went on to have three sons.[
]
References
Sources
*
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egerton, Charles
1848 births
1921 deaths
People from County Offaly
People educated at Rossall School
Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst
76th Regiment of Foot officers
British field marshals
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Members of the Council of India
British Indian Army generals
British military personnel of the Mahdist War
British military personnel of the Hazara Expedition of 1888