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 ...

Lionel Dorling (7 August 1860 – 11 July 1925) was a British Army officer.

Early years

Dorling was born on 7 August 1860 the son of Henry and Elizabeth Dorling of Epsom. He was educated at

Charterhouse School (God having given, I gave) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , president ...

between 1873 and 1878, and commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the 105th Foot on 13 August 1879.

Military career

Dorling was commissioned 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 ...

in the 5th (

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

) battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment on 15 November 1879, and transferred to the King′s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry when he received a commission in the regular army. He served as

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the militia battalion from 30 May 1882 to 20 November 1887, during which he was 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 ...

in his actual regiment on 25 August 1884. In 1893 he was seconded from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry for service in the

Army Pay Department The Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC) was the corps of the British Army responsible for administering all financial matters. It was amalgamated into the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992. History The first "paymasters" have existed in the army before ...

War Service

Dorling served in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

throughout 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 ...

from 1899 to 1902. He was Field Paymaster to the Natal Field Force, which took part in the effort to Relieve Ladysmith, and he was thus present at the battles of Colenso (December 1899) and the

Tugela Heights The Tugela River ( zu, Thukela; af, Tugelarivier) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , it is one of the most important rivers of the country. The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the D ...

(February 1900). 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 27 March 1900, he stayed in South Africa until after the war ended in June 1902, leaving for England on the SS ''Dunvegan Castle'' in October that year. For his service he was

Mentioned 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 ...

(

London Gazette London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

29/07/1902), received the Queen’s Medal with 5 clasps and the King’s Medal with 2 clasps, and 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, typ ...

(DSO) in the October 1902 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated 22 August 1902). He 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. ...

on 3 July 1906. From 1 May 1905, he was employed with the Army Accounts Department. *Accountant 01/05/1905 *Staff Paymaster 03/07/1901 to 1/01/1911 *Accountant Army Pay Dept. 01/05/1905 to 31/12/1909 *Chief Paymaster, Army Pay Dept. 12/01/1911 *Command Paymaster **London District 01/03/1911 to 20/04/1912 **Malta 29/04/1912 to 03/08/1912 **South Africa 30/09/1912 to 1914 **Eastern Command 17/12/1916

Family

In December 1888 Dorling married Constance Price, daughter of William Henry and Ada Price in Karachi. They had one son Lionel Henry Godfrey Dorling, born in

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

in September 1889. Dorling died on 11 July 1925 at Littlehampton,

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

Honours and awards

* 31 October 1902 -

Companion of 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, typic ...

Major Lionel Dorling, Army Pay Department. In recognition of services during the operations in

. * 3 June 1916 - Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) Col, Lionel Dorling, D.S.O., for services rendered in connection with military operations in the field * 1 January 1919 - Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) Col. Lionel Dorling, C.B., D.S.O., A.P. Dept. for services rendered in connection with the War.

References

External links

Dorling on angloboerwar.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorling, Lionel 1860 births 1925 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Pay Corps officers