GLEICHEN, COUNT (later Lord Albert
Edward Wilfred), Major General, was born in London 15 January 1863, son of
Admiral Prince (and Princess) Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. He was educated
at Cheam, Charterhouse, and Sandhurst, and joined the Grenadier Guards, 1881.
He served in the Guards' Camel Regiment in the Nile Expedition, 1884. Count
Gleichen published 'With the Camel Corps up the Nile': "One day in September,
1884, on coming off one of those numerous guards in Dublin that make the
subaltern's life a burden to him, I found the joyful news awaiting me that I
was to go out to the Sudan at once with the Camel Corps detachment of my
battalion. As everybody knows, this sudden despatch of troops to the Nile was
due to the Government having suddenly taken into its head the idea that it was
necessary to rescue General Gordon from his perilous position at Khartoum,
which he had held since the previous February. Better late than never!
Accordingly an expedition was equipped to proceed up the river in pursuance of
a determination which ought to have been carried out at least three months
earlier. The idea had only recently been started that, in order to allow of
troops acting with any success up the Nile, it was absolutely necessary that a
certain proportion of them should be mounted on camels, both for facility of
transport across the desert (if necessary) to Khartoum, and for rapidity of
action. Accordingly a Camel Corps was organized, drawn half from the Cavalry
and half from the Infantry. The Cavalry part was to be composed of
detachments from all the Cavalry regiments in Great Britain—at the time
subdivided into 'Heavies' and 'Lights'; the Infantry part of the detachments
from the Brigade of Guards, and from the regiments already out in Egypt, these
last to go by the name of (Camel) Mounted Infantry. They were as good men as
could be got anywhere, and a finer ship-load than those on board the Deccan
never left England. Mounting a frisky camel is exciting work for a beginner
and nearly always results in a cropper. The mode of procedure should be thus:
Having made your camel to kneel by clearing your throat loudly at him and
tugging at his rope, shorten your rein till you bring his head round to his
shoulder, put your foot in the stirrup to throw your leg over. With his head
jammed like that, he cannot rise, and must wait until you give him his head.
Unless you do as directed, he will got up before your leg is over; if this
happens, stand up in the stirrup till he is up, and then throw your leg over,
otherwise you will infallibly meet with a hideous catastrophe. A camel's leg
will reach anywhere—over his head, round his chest, and on to his hump. He
will chew the root of his tail, nip you in the calf, or lay the top of his
head on his hump. To the uninitiated a camel going for one with his mouth
open and gurgling horribly is a terrifying spectacle, but do not mind him, it
is only his way. A camel is not intended by nature to be groomed, so do not
groom him. You might, as well groom an Irish pig. With infinite pains you
beat the dust out of his skin, remove as many as possible of the ticks and
maggots that infest him, wipe his nose-(if he has a cold), and finish up by
washing off any mud, and drying him with a wisp of dhurra stalk. What is the
result? The moment your back is turned over he goes, and enjoys a
delicious roll in the dust and dirt again, making himself filthier than
before. The natives understand all this, and instead of cleaning him, and
making him more susceptible to the heat of the sun, plaster him all over with
mud during the hot months, which keeps the sun and flies off during the day,
and maybe protects him from the cold at night". Count Gleichen lost his
camel: "I made every inquiry afterwards about a big white camel with a blue
and white nose-band, a vile temper, and a hole in his head big enough to put
your helmet in. I never heard any more of him. Peace to his bones!
Beyond Dongola, the GCR had
long ceased to be a camel regiment, and we were once more to be genuine
infantry. It was very sad to compare our present state with what we were
seven months before, going up country. Then each man had a camel of his own,
real breeches and putties, and a respectable grey tunic. Now every man was
reduced to his own legs as a transport, khaki trousers much too short for him,
and a badly-fitting khaki tunic. Then the GCR was over 400 strong, with every
hope for the future; now the object for which we came was gone, and there were
90 of us gone also". He was promoted to Captain 21 September 1892; was
Equerry to the Prince of Wales, 12 January to 11 February 1892; Extra Equerry
to the Queen 12 February 1892 to 22 January 1901; Staff Captain and DAAG
(Intelligence), Headquarters of Army, 5 May 1895, to 14 July 1899. He served
in the Expedition to Dongola, 1896, receiving the Medal and Egyptian Medal;
accompanied the Rodd Mission to Abyssinia in 1897, and became Major 28 October
1898. Count Gleichen served in the South African War from 1899 to 1900, first
with the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards, in the Guards Brigade, and then as
DAAG, Transport, 20 January to 22 February 1900, taking part in the advance on
Kimberley, including the actions at Belmont, Enslin and Modder River (severely
wounded). He was with the 9th Division as Intelligence Officer 23 February to
29 June, 1900, and was present in the operations in the Orange Free State,
including those at Paardeberg, and the actions at Poplar Grove, Blaauweberg
and Heilbron, and was Provost-Marshal under the Military Governor, Pretoria,
30 June to 19 August 1900. Then he was IO to Eastern Line of
Communications to 30 November 1900. He was mentioned twice in Despatches
[London Gazette, 26 January 1900 and 8 February 1901]; received the Queen's
Medal with five clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished
Service Order [London Gazette, 19 April, 1901]: "Albert Edward Wilfred, Count
Gleichen, CVO, CMG, Major Grenadier Guards. In recognition of services during
the recent operations in South Africa". The Insignia were presented by the
Sirdar 6 November 1901. He was appointed an Extra Equerry to King Edward 23
July 1901, and was employed with the Egyptian Army 7 February 1901 to 14
October 1903, as Director of Intelligence and Sudan Agent (Second Class
Medjidie); was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 14 October 1903; was Military
Attache, Berlin, 15 October 1903 to 27 January 1906, and Military Attache,
Washington and Mexico, 28 January 1906 to 29 January 1907; was given the
Brevet of Colonel 15 October 1906; Assistant Director of Military Operations,
War Office, 1 February 1907 to 31 July 1911; Extra Equerry to King George 10
June, 1910. He was Temporary Brigadier General 1 August 1911 to 1 March,
1915; commanded the 15th Brigade, Irish Command, and was in charge at Belfast
during the Churchill meeting and other troubles. Count Gleichen served in the
European War (as Brigade Commander 5 August 1914 to 1 March, 1915), and took
the brigade to France 14 August 1914. He was present at the Battles of Mons
and Le Cateau, at the Retreat from Mons, and the Battles of the Marne, Aisne,
Festubert and Ypres. He was promoted to Major General, "for distinguished
service" 18 February 1915, and appointed to train and command the 37th
Division 6 April, 1915, taking it to France on 30 July 1915. He assisted in
the Great Push of 1 July 1916. In 1917 he organized and directed the
Intelligence Bureau, Department of Information, 1917-18, and was afterwards
employed in the Ministry of Information. He was twice mentioned in
Despatches. Lord Edward Gleichen wrote several interesting and amusing books:
'With the Camel Corps up the Nile' (1888); 'Armies of Europe' (translation,
1890); 'With the Mission to Menelik, 1897'; 'The Doings of the 15th Brigade'
(1917), etc, and has compiled and edited the 'Chronology of the War' (in three
volumes). His favourite recreations were shooting and travelling. He
married, in 1910, the Honourable Sylvia Edwardes (a Maid of Honour to Queen
Alexandra), daughter of the Honourable Mrs Henry Edwardes; and in 1917 he
dropped his foreign title and became Lord Edward Gleichen.
KCVO, CB (m),
CMG, DSO, Egypt (2) The Nile 1884-5 Abu Klea (Lt Count 1 GGds), Queens Sudan
(Capt Count GGds), QSA (5) Bel M-R Paard Drief Trans (Maj Count CMG GGds),
1914 Star and Bar (Brig-Gen Lord KCVO, CB, CMG, DSO), BWM, Victory Medal
with MID (Maj-Gen Lord), 1887 Jubilee with 1897 bar in gold, 1902
Coronation, 1911 Coronation, Order of the Star (Ethiopia), Khedives Star,
Khedives Sudan, Order of the Medjidie (Turkey) 2nd Class, Legion
dHonneur (France) 3rd Class.
Spink 1990
£7,500. eBay Sep 08 $125,000.
