Coxhead | Thomas Langhorne | | Lieutenant | COXHEAD, THOMAS LANGHORNE, Lieutenant, was born at Petersham, Surrey, 8 October 1864, 2nd son of Henry George Coxhead, Merchant, formerly of Hardwick House, and Susan Amelia, daughter of the Reverend Cornelius Thompson. He was educated at Bute House, Petersham, Surrey, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; entered the Royal Artillery 5 July 1884; served with the Burmese Expedition, with an elephant battery 10 October 1886 (severely wounded); Despatches, and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 25 November 1887]: "Thomas Langhorne Coxhead, Lieutenant, Royal Artillery". The, DSO was awarded (probably not for any particular act) for services generally during the 1886 Burma Campaign, on being mentioned by Lord Roberts in Despatches. Lord Roberts, in a private letter to Lieutenant Colonel Coxhead, says: "It gives me great pleasure to express my opinion of your services as an officer of the Royal Artillery, especially during the Burma Campaign in 1886, when I was Commander-in-Chief in that, country. Your conduct was brought to my notice at the time, and was such as to enable me to recommend yon for the Distinguished Service Order". The Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Royal Artillery, Burma Field Force, remarked on the reports of Lieutenants Pullen and Coxhead "on the recent operations near Yermethin and Ningyan". He said: "The reports of these officers do them much credit, the more so as the notes and sketches from which they were framed must have been made in the face of somewhat adverse circumstances". Major Sorell, RA, wrote, 28 February 1887, of Lieutenant Coxhead: "This officer has served with the battery under my command from 20 April 1886. He has been many times in action, both with me and in command of a half-battery of artillery, and on every occasion showed self-reliance, courage and knowledge of his duties rare in so young an officer. He was on one occasion placed in command of a column, by his senior officer being killed, and brought it back from a difficult position with skill and tact. He was very severely wounded on 10 October 1886, and had to be invalided home. Brigadier General Lockhart, CB, CSI, asked for him as orderly officer, but his services at that time could not be spared. I consider him about the best subaltern officer I have met during my service". Lieutenant Coxhead's services were also specially mentioned in a report of Major General Sir G S White, KCB, VC, commanding the Upper Burma Field Force, published in the London Gazette of 2 September 1887. He became Captain in July 1893. Captain Coxhead married, in 1900, Eliza Lort Winter, daughter of the Reverend D Winter Morris, Vicar of St Ishmael's, Milford Haven, and their children were: John Ralph Winter Coxhead, born, 19 May 1903, and Caroline May Coxhead, born 8 May 1907. From August 1900 to August 1901 Captain Coxhead served as Brigade Major with the China Expeditionary Force. He received the China Medal, and was specially mentioned in a Despatch of Lieutenant General A Gaselee, commanding the British Contingent, China Field Force [London Gazette, 13 September 1901]. He was promoted Major May 1903; Lieutenant Colonel 21 May 1912, and retired 13 July 1912. Lieutenant Colonel Coxhead was appointed a Military Knight of Windsor, 1914. He was in the RMA Cricket Eleven, 1883 and 1884, and played three times for the RA in the RA and RE matches later, and played golf for the RA. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel RGA on outbreak of war on 10 September 1914.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Royal Artillery |