KCMG recipients

See his KCB entry.

Entered 1858; Major General, 1894.  Staff service: Instructor Royal Military College, 1871-72; Professor, Tactics, 1872-75; DAA and QMG, Headquarters, Ireland, 1875-77; DAA and QMG, Aldershot, 1877-78; Special Service, Cape of Good Hope, 1878-79; Brigade-Major, Expeditionary Force, Egypt, 1882; AA and QMG, Egypt; DA and QMG, Egypt, 1882-85; Brigade-General Chief of Staff, Egypt, 1886-87; Command Staff College, 1888-93 Major General, Infantry Brigade, Aldershot, 1895-96; DAG to the Forces, Headquarters of Army, 1896-99; Lieutenant General, Infantry Division, South Africa, 1899.  War Service—South African War, 1879 (Despatches, March and August 1879; medal with clasp; Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel); Egyptian Expedition, 1884 (Despatches, March and May 1884; medal with 2 clasps; bronze star; promoted Colonel, CB); Sudan Expedition, 1884-85 (clasp); South African War, 1899-1900.  General Clery, who is renowned in the classroom as in the field, was born in 1838.  In the art of war he has long been the recognised authority, and his "Clery on Tactics," has passed through several editions, and become a textbook in Germany, Russia, America, and Italy.  In addition to this work, his influence has made itself felt at the War Office on behalf of the British soldier, to whom he has always been a sincere and practical friend.  He is popular in all ranks of society, save perhaps with the Cadets at examination times.

Denison-Pender, John, JP

Born in 1855, and is son of Sir John Pender. He is one of the pioneers of submarine telegraphy, and is vice chairman and managing director of the Eastern Telegraph Company and director of the other Associated Telegraph Companies. Their first cable to America lasted only a month, but in that time its use saved the War Office £50,000. During the Boer War Sir John arranged for cheaper cable rates for wounded officers. The services rendered in connection with submarine cable telegraphy were recognised by the KCMG bestowed in Oct, 1901. He has also received Orders from the Governments of Denmark Turkey, and Portugal. Sir John has served in South Africa and China, and married, in 1879, Beatrice Katherine, only daughter of Cuthbert Ellison.

French, Lieutenant General J D P

He served in the Royal Navy from 1866 to 1870.  In 1874 he was commissioned into the 19th Hussars, via Suffolk Artillery Militia.  Between 1884-85, he was in the expedition that failed to relieve Gordon in Khartoum.  He was with White in Ladysmith in 1899 commanding the cavalry and left on the last train with Haig, then in command round Colesburg.  Commanded the cavalry division with Roberts' army in the relief of Kimberley and the capture of Bloemfontein and Pretoria.  In 1901 he was sent to Cape Colony to try to suppress the Boer rebels there.  Chief of Imperial General Staff 1912-14.  1914-15 commanded British Expeditionary Force until he resigned.  1916-18 Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces.  1918-21 Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.

 

French, Sir Somerset

Somerset Richard French was born in 1848, the son of the late Robert French. After being educated at a private school, he entered the Money Order Department of the General Post Office in London in 1866, but was transferred to the Secretary’s Department in 1869, and in the next year assisted in the transfer of telegraphs to the State. He was in charge of the Intelligence and Special Arrangements Branch of the Telegraph Service from 1870 to 1880, and in 1878 he went to Cyprus with an expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Sir Garnet Wolseley to organize a postal and telegraph service in that island. He was appointed Secretary and Accountant-General of the Post Office of Cape Colony in 1880, Controller of the Savings Bank in 1884, and Postmaster-General of the Colony in 1892. Whilst acting as Secretary, he introduced the Postal Savings Bank system in the Colony. His next appointment was Postmaster-General of British Bechuanaland, and from 1893-97 he was manager of the Rhodesian Telegraph Service, and of the African Trans-Continental Telegraph Company. He was awarded the CMG in 1896 in recognition of these services. He represented the Cape Colony, Natal, and Rhodesia at the Universal Postal Union Congresses at Washington in 1897, and Rome in 1906, and was largely responsible for the introduction of the Imperial Penny Postage scheme.

He supervised the Military and Postal Telegraph Services in the Cape Colony during the South African War, in connection with which he received the special thanks of the Imperial Government and Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, and was created KCMG in 1901, in recognition of these services. In 1907 Sir Thomas Fuller retired from the post of Agent-General for Cape Colony in London, and Sir Somerset French succeeded him. He married in 1893, Josephine, only daughter of Beauval Murphy, RN. There were two children, a daughter who died during the early part of the War, and a son, who was killed in action in 1918. Sir Somerset French died in Sussex on 11 May 1929.

QSA (0) (Sir S French KCMG GPO Staff).  

DNW Jun 00.  £1,500.

War service: Afghan War, 1879 (medal with clasp); Egyptian Expedition, 1882 (medal with clasp; bronze star); Sudan Expedition, 1884-85 (Despatches; clasp; promoted Surgeon-Major); Expedition to Dongola, 1896 (Despatches; CB; Egyptian medal with clasp); Nile Expedition, 1897; Nile Expedition, 1898 (Despatches, May and September 1898; promoted Colonel; 2 clasps, Egyptian medal); South African War, 1899-1900.

GIROUARD, Lieutenant Colonel Sir Edouard Percy Cranwill, KCMG, DSO, RE, is the son of a French Canadian, who is a Judge of the supreme Court of Canada, the highest appellate Court for the whole Dominion. He was born in 1867, and educated at the Canadian Royal Military College, from which he graduated, proceeding at once to an appointment on the engineering staff of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Here he had that splendid training which fitted the young student for the great work which he was destined to do in the service of his country. He entered the Royal Engineers in 1888 and proceeded to Woolwich, where his great knowledge of practical railway work led so rapid promotion. At the age of 23 he was appointed Traffic Manager of the Royal Arsenal Railways, and it was here that the keen eyes of Lord Kitchener discerned in young Girouard the very man to undertake the construction of the railway across the Sudan which was to enable Lord Kitchener to push forward his advance from Dongola to Khartoum. Colonel Girouard carried out this work as Director of Sudan Railways, and afterwards was appointed President of the Egyptian Railway Board. In 1889 he accompanied Sir Redvers Buller to the Cape as Director of Military Railways. He later settled in England and in 1907 became High Commissioner for Northern Nigeria, Governor from 1908 to 1909 and Governor of East African Protectorate 1909-1912.  In the Great War he served as Director General of Munitions. He married, Sep 10, 1903, Mary Gwendolen, only child of the Hon Sir Richard Solomon, KCMG, CB, KC, Attorney General of the Transvaal, and Lady Solomon, Governor N Nigeria, 1907.

See Glen 13 Dec 89.

Hutton, Colonel E T H

Entered 1867; Colonel, March 1900.  Staff service:  ADC to Major General Expedition Force, Egypt, 1882; Assistant Military Secretary to GOC, Egypt, 1882-83; Brigade Major, Aldershot, 1883-84; DAA and QMG, Egypt, 1884-85; DAAG Aldershot, 1887-89, 1689-92; ADC to the Queen, 1892; Commandant Colonel Forces, NSW, 1893-96; AAG, Dublin, 1896-97; Curragh, 1897-98; GOC Mila., Dominion of Canada, 1898-1900; Special Service, South Africa, 1900; Major General Infantry Brigade, South Africa, March 1900.  War service: South African War, 1879-81 (Despatches; medal with clasp); Egyptian Expedition 1882 (Despatches; medal with clasp; bronze star; Brevet of Major; 4th class Medjidie); Sudan Expedition 1885 (clasp); Boer War, 1899-1900; on Staff.  This gallant officer, who has energetically interested himself in the Colonial patriotic movement from its inception, was the son of Mr E T Hutton of Beverley, Yorkshire.  He was born in 1848, and married in 1889 the daughter of Lord Charles Paulet.

KCB, KCMG, Zulu (1), Egypt (2), QSA (5), 1897 Jubilee, Japan Order of the Rising Sun 2nd Class, Turkey Order of Medjidie (Knight), Khedive Star.  RHQ. 

Son of A K Murray, he was born November 6, 1854, in Pine Town, Natal, where he also received his education. Sir Thomas Murray has for over thirty years taken a prominent part in the Military, Political, Commercial, and Sporting interests of Natal. As early as 1873 he was a member of the Natal Frontier Guards, and in 1879 served as second in command of the Ladysmith Defence Force in the Zulu War. In the Boer War he raised and commanded Murray's Horse (1899), and was Chief of Murray's Scouts and of General Buller's Intelligence Department on the Staff. He took part in the relief of Ladysmith and was three times mentioned in despatches; subsequently he was General Superintendent of Burgher Camps in Natal, and the Transvaal and Natal Governments, Lord Milner, and Mr Chamberlain specially thanked Mr Murray for his services, who was then made KCMG. Sir Thomas Murray's political life has been still more busy. He has sat in the Natal Parliament since 1886, during which period he has been Chairman of Finance, Railway and Harbour Committees Minister of Lands and Works (1893-7), Colonial Secretary (1897), Acting Prime Minister, Chairman of Government Board of Arbitrators on Defective Surveys, Chairman of Stock Commission, Chairman of Utrecht-Vryheid compensation Comm., Commissioner of Census, and member of Magistracies and Crown Lands Commissions. He was delegated to represent Natal at the opening of the Australian Commonwealth Parliament; received the CMG in 1895 in connection with the Natal railway extension to the Transvaal, and was a member of the Railway Conferences at Pretoria and Cape Town, and the Customs Conference at Bloemfontein. Sir Thomas is a Director of the Natal Bank, the Town Hill Wattle Company, and the Natal Tannery, and incidentally has been President of the Natal Farmers' Congress, Maritzburg Agricultural Society, Caledonian Society, Natal Rugby Union, and the Natal Turf Club. He has also captained the Maritzburg County Cricket Club, and has won prizes for rifle shooting, racing, and athletic sports. He married, in 1877, Annie, daughter of Henry Procter.

See Denison-Pender (above).

Pretyman, Major General G T, RA

George Tindal Pretyman was born on 1 March 1845, and was educated at Wimbledon School and RMA Woolwich.  He joined the Royal Artillery on 21 March 1865, and within a few months went to Canada where he served until July 1870.  During this period he was present throughout the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870.  Pretyman went to India in February, 1875, and was promoted Captain in October 1877.  At the outbreak of the Afghan War in 1878, he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir Frederick Roberts and was present at the capture of the Peiwar Kotal and in all the operations in the Koorum and Khost Valleys (mentioned in despatches).  He took part in the advance on and occupation of Kabul in 1879, and was present in the engagement at Charasia (mentioned in despatches).  He was reappointed Aide-de-Camp to Sir Frederick Roberts in March, 1880, and rode with him on the desperate march from Kabul to Kandahar, and was present at the battle of Kandahar on 1 September 1880 (mentioned in despatches).  For his services during the Afghan campaign he was twice promoted by brevet, first to the rank of Major and afterwards to that of Lieutenant Colonel.  Preryman was appointed Military Secretary to Sir Frederick Roberts in Madras in 1881, and was Assistant Adjutant General for the Royal Artillery in India from 1887 to 1889, when he took command of a second class District, Bengal.  It was while thus employed that he commanded the 1st Infantry Brigade in the Isazai Expedition of 1892.  The enterprise proved a bloodless one and consequently there were no medals or rewards.  He was made CB (m) in May 1896, and promoted Major-General in the following year.  On the outbreak of the War in South Africa, Lord Roberts offered him the position of Commandant at Headquarters which he accepted with effect from 23 December 1899.  He was appointed Military Governor of Bloemfontein in 1900, and commanded the Kimberley District in 1901, and afterwards the Northern Cape Colony.  For his services he was twice mentioned in despatches and created KCMG.  Pretyman returned to India in 1902 with the command of the Secunderabad District, and subsequently the command of the Forces in Madras, 1904, and of the Burma Division, 1906.  He retired in 1907 and was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery in September 1908.  Major General Sir George Pretyman died on 3 August 1917.

KCMG, CB (m) (gold b/b), CGS (2) Fen Raid 1866 FR 1870 (Lt RA), Afghan (3) PK C Khan (Capt RA), K2K Star (Bt Maj RA), QSA (4) CC OFS Drie SA01 (Maj Gen KCMG CB).  BDW May 93 £2,800.

See his DSO entry.

Entered Grenadier Guards 1871; Colonel, 1897.  Staff service: ADC to Chief of Staff Expedition Force, Egypt, 1882; ADC to.  Brigadier General, Egypt, 1884-85; ADC to Major General Expedition Force, Suakin, 1885; Brigade Major Guards Brigade, Egypt and Cyprus, 1885; Brigade Major, Aldershot, 1886-89; DAAG, Headquarters of Army, 1892-94; DAAG, Aldershot, 1894-07; Special Service, Ashanti, 1895-96; AAG, Headquarters of Army, 1897-1:9: Military Secretary to General Commander in Chief, 1899-1900; South Africa Military Secretary to GOC, Natal, January 1900.  War service: Egyptian Expedition 1882 (Despatches; medal with clasp; bronze star; 5th class Medjidie); Sudan Expedition 1884-85 (Despatches; clasp; Brevet of Major); Ashanti Expedition 1895-96 (honorary mentioned; Brevet of Colonel; star); Boer War, 1899-1900; on Staff.  Colonel Stopford, born 1854, was the son of the 4th Earl of Courtown.

Born in 1854, and is son of the fourth Earl of Courtown. He joined the Grenadier Guards in 1871 and served in the Egyptian Expedition in 1882 as ADC to Sir John Adyc, Chief of Staff; present at the battle of Tel-el-Kebir (despatches, medal with clasp, bronze star, and 5th class Medjidie); the Sudan Expedition in 1884-5 as ADC to Major General Fremantle, Brigade of Guards, and afterwards as Brigade Major (despatches, clasp, and brevet of Major); the Ashanti Expedition in 1895-6, in command of a composite half battalion (brevet of Colonel and star); and the Boer War in 1899-1900, as Military Secretary to Sir Redvers Buller; present at the relief of Ladysmith, including the actions at Colenso, Spion Kop, and Vaal Kranz; the operations on Tugela Heights, and the action at Pieter's Hill; operations in Natal including the action at Laing's Nek, and the operations in the Transvaal, cast of Pretoria, including the actions at Belfast and Lydenburg (despatches, QSA with six clasps and KCMG). In 1904 General Stopford was appointed Director of Military Training, which post he held until 1906 when he succeeded Lt. General Sir L J Oliphant, KCVO, in command of the London District.

Colonel RAMC, 1894; Army Medical Staff, 1898.  War service: Afghan War, 1878-79-80 (medal); Egyptian Expedition 1882-84 (medal; bronze star); Sudan, 1884 (Despatches; 2 clasps; prom.  Surgeon-Major, ranking with Lieutenant Colonel), Boer War; PMO.