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 ...

Thomas Tait Pitman, (22 December 1868 – 8 March 1941) was a British

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

officer, who was a general officer during 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 ...

Personal life

Thomas Tait Pitman was born on 22 December 1868, the son of Frederick Pitman,

Writer to the Signet The Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet is a private society of Scottish solicitors, dating back to 1594 and part of the College of Justice. Writers to the Signet originally had special privileges in relation to the drawing up of document ...

, Edinburgh. He was one of eight brothers, including Frederick Islay Pitman and

Charles Murray Pitman Charles Murray Pitman King's Counsel, KC Justice of the Peace, JP (8 January 1872 – 13 October 1948) was a British judge and rower described in his Times obituary as having been known "in the rowing world ... one of the most distinguished o ...

. In 1920 he married Violet Mary, only daughter of Sir Michael Lakin, 1st Baronet. He died on 8 March 1941.

Military career

Pitman entered the army in 1889 and served with the 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars for 26 years. He was commissioned 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 ...

on 9 October 1889, was promoted to

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 ...

on 6 April 1891, and 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 16 April 1895. Seeing service in the North West Frontier campaign 1897–98, he then 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 ...

during 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 ...

, where he was second-in-command of the 5th battalion of the

Imperial Yeomanry The Imperial Yeomanry was a volunteer mounted force of the British Army that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Created on 2 January 1900, the force was initially recruited from the middle classes and traditional yeomanry sources, but su ...

. 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 ...

(dated 1 June 1902, where he is commended for good service at Brakspruit on 11 April 1902). After the end of the war in June 1902, he left

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

in the SS ''Plassy'' in August, returning to

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

the following month. On his return he resigned from the Imperial Yeomanry and returned to his regiment. By the outbreak of the

, he was a

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. ...

commanding the 11th Hussars and took them to the Western Front in August 1914. He was wounded at the

Battle of Messines (1914) The Battle of Messines was fought in October 1914 between the armies of the German Empire, German empire and British Empire, British empire and French Third Republic, France as part of the Race to the Sea, between the river Douve and the Comines ...

. Later, he commanded the 4th Cavalry Brigade (1915–16) and the 2nd Cavalry Division (1918–19). He then became General Officer Commanding

48th (South Midland) Division The 48th (South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army. Part of the Territorial Force (TF) and raised in 1908, the division was originally called the South Midland Division, and was redesignated as the 48th (South Midland ...

in April 1926 before retiring in April 1930. He was appointed

Companion of The Most Honourable 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 one ...

(CB) in 1915 and

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St 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, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG) in 1918 and mentioned in despatches six times. He was Hon. Colonel of the 11th Hussars from 17 February 1926 to 9 October 1939.

References

Bibliography

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitman, Thomas 1868 births 1941 deaths British Army major generals British Army personnel of the Second Boer War British Army cavalry generals of World War I 11th Hussars officers Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath