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 of ...

George Hamilton Sim (19 November 1852 – 27 December 1929) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer who served with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

in various campaigns in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In his youth, he was a keen amateur sportsman and played

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

for the

, being on the winning side in the

1875 FA Cup Final The 1875 FA Cup Final was a football match between Royal Engineers and Old Etonians on 13 March 1875 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the fourth final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (known i ...

Family and education

Sim was born on 19 November 1852 at

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...

, London, the second son of Alexander Sim (1820–1885), a timber broker. Sim's mother, Agnes (1827–1909) was the daughter of

Archibald Billing Archibald Billing FRS (10 January 1791 – 2 September 1881) was an English physician and writer on art. Biography Billing was the son of Theodore Billing of Cromlyn, in the county of Dublin. He entered Trinity College Dublin, in 1807, graduat ...

, a doctor and author. He was

baptised Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

on 23 March 1853 at St James's Church, Paddington. Two of Sim's uncles, Edward Coysgarne Sim (1838–1900) and Charles Alexander Sim (1839–1897) served with the

, both reaching the rank of

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 ...

. Sim was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

before attending the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Sig ...

Football career

Sim played

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

at Rugby School and at the Royal Military Academy before joining the Royal Engineers in 1872. Described as ""a very useful back", Sim played as a full back; he was a pioneer in the art of heading the ball. When Sim joined the

, they were among the top football teams in England, having reached the final of the first FA Cup tournament in

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

and again two years later, finishing on both occasions as runners-up. The Engineers reached the FA Cup Final for the third time in four years in

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

but only after a hard semi-final against Oxford University, with a 1–1 draw followed by a 1–0 victory in the replay. In

the final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

, played on 13 March 1875 at

Kennington Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it ...

, the Engineers met the

Old Etonians Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

. The match was played in a strong gale and the Engineers spent most of the match against the gale, with the rules requiring ends to be changed after each goal.

Alexander Bonsor Alexander George Bonsor (7 October 1851 – 17 August 1907) was one of the earliest known footballers. Career Bonsor played in the 1872 FA Cup Final – the first ever final in the FA Cup's history – and finished on the winning side. He playe ...

scored for the Old Boys after 30 minutes followed by an equaliser from Capt Renny-Tailyour within five minutes. Shortly after the equaliser,

Richard Ruck Major-General Sir Richard Mathews Ruck (27 May 1851 – 17 March 1935) was a British Army officer who served with the Royal Engineers, spending most of his career in the Submarine Mining Service, before becoming the Director of Fortifications ...

collided with

Cuthbert Ottaway Cuthbert John Ottaway (19 July 1850 – 2 April 1878)''Jackson's Oxford Journal'', 6 April 1878. was an English footballer. He was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football ma ...

who was forced to leave the field with a serious ankle injury; in his absence, the Old Boys were regarded as fortunate to have held on for a 1–1 draw. Royal engineers 1875

The replay was three days later; although the Engineers were able to field the same eleven as in the first match, the Etonians had to make four changes, losing the match 2–0, with both the Engineers' goals scored by Capt Renny-Tailyour. At the third attempt, the Royal Engineers won their first, and only, FA Cup Final.

Military career

Sim graduated from RMA Woolwich on 12 September 1872, when he was commissioned as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

. He spent the first three years in the army based at

Chatham, Kent Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham. The town developed around Chatham ...

, before joining the Indian Service in August 1875. On 23 September 1875, Sim was sent to northern India, where he was to remain for the next nine years. In October 1879, he was appointed Assistant Field Engineer in the Northern Afghanistan Field Force, to participate in the second phase of the Afghan War for which he received the Afghanistan Medal. Sim returned to England in August 1884, to become an instructor at the

Royal School of Military Engineering The Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) Group provides a wide range of training for the British Army and Defence. This includes; Combat Engineers, Carpenters, Chartered Engineers, Musicians, Band Masters, Sniffer Dogs, Veterinary Techni ...

in Chatham, being promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 12 September 1884. In March 1885, Sim was sent to

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

with the second Suakin Expedition. In

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 ...

, Sim was a member of the 10th Railway Company, Royal Engineers under the command of Major William Rathbone, and were responsible for the construction of an 18-inch gauge railway system around the town. For his services in Sudan, he was awarded the

Egypt Medal The Egypt Medal (1882–1889) was awarded for the military actions involving the British Army and Royal Navy during the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and in the Sudan between 1884 and 1889. Resentment at increasing British and other European involve ...

with clasp, together with the

Khedive's Star The Khedive's Star was a campaign medal established by Khedive Tewfik Pasha to reward those who had participated in the military campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan between 1882 and 1891. This included British forces who served during the 1882 Anglo- ...

. Following his return to England, Sim was assigned to the

Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg , logo_width = 240px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , di ...

based at

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

in April 1886, where he served for the following five years. He returned to the School of Military Engineering in April 1891, becoming an instructor in tactics, and being promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 16 March 1892. Sim remained at Chatham until June 1898, when he rejoined the Ordnance Survey, and was posted to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

. On 4 October 1899, Sim was promoted to

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

, following which he was sent to South Africa in November as Commander Royal Engineers with the 5th Division, part of the Natal Field Force. Immediately on his arrival in South Africa, he led the Royal Engineers at the

Relief of Ladysmith When the Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, the Boers had a numeric superiority within Southern Africa. They quickly invaded the British territory and laid siege to Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking. Britain meanwhile transported th ...

, including the operations of 17 to 24 January 1900, and the action at Spion Kop. This was followed by the operations on 5 to 7 February at

Vaal Krantz The Battle of Vaal Krantz (5 February to 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred durin ...

and the

Battle of the Tugela Heights The Battle of Tugela (or Thukela) Heights, consisted of a series of military actions lasting from 14 February through to 27 February 1900 in which General Sir Redvers Buller's British army forced Louis Botha's Boer army to lift the Siege of Lady ...

from 14 to 27 February and the subsequent action at Pieters Hill, before the British finally defeated the Boers and entered

Ladysmith Ladysmith may refer to: * Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada * Ladysmith, Wisconsin, United States * Ladysmith, New South Wales, Australia * Ladysmith, Virginia, United States * Ladysmith Island, Queenslan ...

on 1 March. Sim's actions during this phase of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

earned him a brief

mention in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

from Lieutenant-General Sir

Charles Warren General Sir Charles Warren, (7 February 1840 – 21 January 1927) was an officer in the British Royal Engineers. He was one of the earliest European archaeologists of the Biblical Holy Land, and particularly of the Temple Mount. Much of his mi ...

. During the remainder of 1900, Sim commanded the Royal Engineers in various operations in

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

and

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, including the action at

Laing's Nek Laing's Nek, or Lang's Nek is a pass through the Drakensberg mountain range, South Africa, immediately north of Majuba, at at an elevation of 5400 to . It is the lowest part of a ridge which slopes from Majuba to the Buffalo River, and before ...

on 6 to 9 June, before moving into the

Orange River Colony The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Unio ...

at the end of the year, where he remained for the duration of the war. For his services in South Africa, Sim was mentioned in despatches three times by Lord Roberts, following which, on 19 April 1901, he was appointed a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.). He also received the

Queen's South Africa Medal The Queen's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to British and Colonial military personnel, and to civilians employed in an official capacity, who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Altogether twenty-six clasps wer ...

with six clasps, and the

King's South Africa Medal The King's South Africa Medal is a British campaign medal awarded to all British and Colonial military personnel who served in the Second Boer War in South Africa, and who were in the theatre on or after 1 January 1902 and who had completed 18 m ...

with two clasps, In May 1902, Sim returned to Ireland to resume his service with the Ordnance Survey until October 1904, when he was placed on half-pay, having been promoted to Brevet colonel on 1 October 1903. On 19 June 1905, he was appointed Colonel in charge of Royal Engineer Records, and placed in command of the Royal Engineer Depot at

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

, with the substantive rank of

in the Army. He vacated his appointment as Officer in charge of Royal Engineer Records and was placed on half pay on 19 June 1909, before retiring on 19 November 1909.

First World War service

Following the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Sim was appointed as an Officer in charge of Army Records. On 30 June 1915, he was attached to Headquarters as Chief Engineer for the duration of the war. In the 1917 New Year Honours, he was appointed a

Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

(CMG), "in recognition of isvaluable services in connection with the war".

Marriage and children

On 5 August 1875 at St. Paul's Church,

Wokingham Wokingham is a market town in Berkshire, England, west of London, southeast of Reading, north of Camberley and west of Bracknell. History Wokingham means 'Wocca's people's home'. Wocca was apparently a Saxon chieftain who may als ...

, Sim married Bessie Katherine Hayward (1854–1927). The couple had five children: *Evelyn Mabel Hayward, born 30 June 1876. *Violet Bessie Hayward, born 20 July 1878, died 3 April 1880. *Agnes Gwynneth Amy, born 19 April 1882. *George Edward Herman, born 15 August 1886. *Noel Eric Hayward, born 14 December 1890. Both the sons served in the Army: George served with the Royal Engineers, reaching the rank of

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

, while Noel became a

in the

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of ...

Death

At Christmas 1929, Sim was visiting his younger son, Noel, at his home in

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wake ...

, Yorkshire. On 27 December, he was found dead on the floor of his bedroom, having collapsed with heart failure. His funeral was held at St Anne's Church,

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

, East Sussex on 2 January 1930. His body was interred at

Ocklynge Ocklynge is an area in Eastbourne, England. Etymology The etymology is from the Anglo-Saxon language: ''lynge'' is thought to be from link or ridge, and the ''ock'' component is believed to come from Occa, a putative leader of a small band of ...

Cemetery. In 2015, Sim's 1897 Royal Engineers Sword came up for auction at Mullock's Auctioneers in Shropshire, but was not sold.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stafford, William 1852 births 1929 deaths Men's association football defenders British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath English men's footballers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich People educated at Rugby School Royal Engineers A.F.C. players Royal Engineers officers Military personnel from London Footballers from Paddington