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 ...

Sir William Thomas Furse, (21 April 1865 – 31 May 1953) was a

Master-General of the Ordnance The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was ...

Early life and education

Furse was born in Staines,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, the second son of the Ven. Charles Furse (born Johnson),

Archdeacon of Westminster The Archdeacon of Westminster is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Chapter of the Royal Peculiar of Westminster Abbey in London. The holder of the post oversees relationships with the twenty-four parishes of which the Dean and Chapter ar ...

, and Jane Diana Monsell, second daughter of

John Samuel Bewley Monsell John Samuel Bewley Monsell (2 March 1811 - 9 April 1875) was an Irish Anglican clergyman and poet. Life The son of Thomas Monsell, Thomas Bewley Monsell, Archdeacon of Derry, he was born in St. Columb's, Londonderry, and educated at Trinity Colleg ...

, vicar of Egham. He was educated at

Eton College 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 ...

and 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 ...

. The artist

Charles Wellington Furse Charles Wellington Furse (13 January 1868 – 16 October 1904) was an English painter. He was born at Staines, the son of Jane Diana (Monsell) and the Rev. C. W. Furse, archdeacon of Westminster, and rector of St John's, Smith Square and de ...

and Rt. Rev.

Michael Furse Michael Bolton Furse, KCMG (born Bolton Michael Furse;''London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538–1812'England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915'' 12 October 1870 – 18 June 1955) was an emin ...

were his younger brothers.

Military career

Furse was commissioned into the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

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 ...

on 5 July 1884.Sir William Thomas Furse
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives He was Aide-de-Camp to Lord Roberts from 1891 to 1893, and 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 ...

on 30 May 1893.Hart′s Army list, 1903 He served 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 ...

as a Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General (D.A.Q.M.G.) at Army Headquarters, and was 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 15 March 1900. Following the end of the war in June 1902, Furse was on 15 October 1902 appointed D.A.Q.M.G. to the 2nd Army Corps based at

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...

. In 1911 he was appointed

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

12th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery XII (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which served in the First World War. It was originally formed with 43rd, 86th and 87th (Howitzer) Batteries, each equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers, and a ...

. He served in

World War I 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 ...

initially as a

General Staff Officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

on the British Expeditionary Force and then as General Officer Commanding

9th (Scottish) Division The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War. A ...

from 1915. He was made

in 1916; in this capacity he opposed the introduction of the

Madsen machine gun The Madsen is a light machine gun that Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schouboe designed and proposed for adoption by Colonel Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, the Danish Minister of War, and that the Royal Danish Army adopted in 1902. It was the wo ...

, preferring the Lewis gun. He retired in 1920. He was the father of the artist and designer

Roger Furse Roger Kemble Furse (11 September 1903 – 19 August 1972) was an English painter who worked as a costume designer and production designer for both stage and film. Career Roger Furse was the son of Lieutenant General Sir William Furse and Je ...

and the actress

Judith Furse Judith Furse (4 March 1912 – 29 August 1974) was an English actress. Career A member of the Furse family, her father was Lieutenant-General Sir William Furse and mother Jean Adelaide Furse. Her brother, Roger, became a stage designer and ...

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Furse, William 1865 births 1953 deaths People educated at Eton College Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich British Army generals of World War I Royal Artillery officers People educated at Royal Grammar School, Guildford Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Military personnel from Middlesex British Army lieutenant generals